The WOW Factor: West Alabama students flock to career expo

Jasmine Hollie, Tuscaloosa News
·2 min read

The 2023 Worlds of Work Career Expo aimed to put some fun into choosing a line of work for ninth-grade students in West Alabama.

"It's like the Disney World of workforce," said Donny Jones, executive director of West AlabamaWorks!, the chief operating officer of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama and one of the organizers of the career expo.

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"It's really developed to 'wow' the students about all the different types of jobs that are in West Alabama." Jones said.

More than 4,000 ninth-grade students from West Alabama gathered Thursday at Shelton State Community College's Martin campus for the annual West Alabama Worlds of Work (WOW) Career Expo. The two-day expo is designed to steer students toward high-paying, competitive career opportunities while addressing workforce needs in the region.

Students explored various “worlds” or industry sectors, where they met employers and engaged in hands-on activities. About 90 employers represented West Alabama industries.

Ninth grade students tour the displays at the Worlds of Work Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023, at Shelton State Community College. At the McAbee Construction display students JB Bishop, right, and Mason Redding, left, get a demonstration of a large crane from Cole Glasgow. The students are from Sipsey Valley High.
Ninth grade students tour the displays at the Worlds of Work Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023, at Shelton State Community College. At the McAbee Construction display students JB Bishop, right, and Mason Redding, left, get a demonstration of a large crane from Cole Glasgow. The students are from Sipsey Valley High.

Work sectors represented at WOW included agriculture, construction, cosmetology, education, energy and utilities, engineering and environment, health care, hospitality and tourism, manufacturing/automotive, public safety and transportation.

Jones said the event is a great opportunity for students to meet industry leaders and learn about the needs of the employers.

Jones said 'WOW' is not like average career fairs, but a more hands-on event.

"This is all hands-on. And so the students will have an opportunity to really actively engage, at the same time meet people that are in those careers. So it's really the best of both worlds. It really is a collision between industry and education." Jones said.

Jones said the career expo continues to grow each year and he is looking forward to leaving a positive impact on more students' lives.

The goal of WOW is to connect students with industry leaders and expose them to career opportunities and jobs they may have never considered, Jones said.

"We hope that their eyes will be open to opportunities that they've never knew that existed," Jones said.

Ninth grade students tour the displays at the Worlds of Work Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023, at Shelton State Community College. Brooklyn Boothe gets on firefighting gear at the Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue display as firefighter Will McReynolds helps Nicole Wheat into gear. The students are from Hale County High.
Ninth grade students tour the displays at the Worlds of Work Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023, at Shelton State Community College. Brooklyn Boothe gets on firefighting gear at the Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue display as firefighter Will McReynolds helps Nicole Wheat into gear. The students are from Hale County High.

WOW is a project of West Alabama Works, Region 3 Workforce Development Center, and the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama. The program was founded in 2015 with a mission to get students familiar with high-demand, high-wage opportunities available in West Alabama.

Students attending the expo com from the nine-county workforce development region, which includes Bibb, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Marengo, Pickens, Sumter, and Tuscaloosa counties.

In addition to ninth-graders, the expo also includes a component for older high school students. WOW Varsity was held Thursday afternoon for students in 10th through 12th grades. WOW Varsity also is designed to give students and their parents the opportunity to talk with industry leaders and learn more about job and educational opportunities.

For more information, go to worldsofwork.com.

Reach Jasmine Hollie at JHollie@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: West Alabama students explore careers at Worlds of Work expo