Quick look: Orange County students and families are invited to explore future career opportunities at the OC Pathways Showcase on Feb. 25 at the OC Fairgrounds & Event Center, featuring hands-on exhibits representing 58 Career Technical Education pathways.
Orange County students and families will have the chance to step inside a wide range of career possibilities when the OC Pathways Showcase returns to the OC Fairgrounds & Event Center.
The 12th annual showcase on Feb. 25 will offer interactive opportunities to explore all 58 Career Technical Education pathway options available through partnerships with school districts, business partners and community organizations.
Attendees will engage with dozens of programs representing the breadth of career pathways available across Orange County — from food service to commercial welding. Hands-on displays will feature collaboration between local industries and student pathway programs, giving students an opportunity to demonstrate the industry knowledge they’ve developed through classroom instruction and work-based learning experiences.
While high schoolers share what they have learned in career education courses, elementary and middle school students will present their innovations to judges, showcasing how they planned, prototyped and tested each model. Through the annual ocMaker Challenge Meet the Maker event, students demonstrate how they transformed classroom learning to create work-in-progress projects designed to address needs among their peers and on their campuses.
For industry and business partners, the showcase will offer a firsthand look at students’ skills across multiple sectors, as well as opportunities to connect with educators and programs that support internships, job shadowing, guest speaking and apprenticeships.
Last year’s OC Pathways Showcase drew nearly 1,000 students, parents and local employers, displaying the growing interest for career-connected learning for students from kindergarten through college.
“When educators, businesses, workforce development leaders, and community organizations decide to truly collaborate, not just coordinate, you create something that’s greater than the sum of its parts,” said Kathy Boyd, executive director of Career Education. “This showcase is where that collaboration becomes visible.”
By enhancing Career Technical Education access for vulnerable student populations while advancing innovation through new strategies that meet current educational needs, this countywide event supports priorities outlined in OCDE’s 5-3-1 Strategic Plan.
OC Pathways supports more than 50 career pathways countywide, serving as a collaborative network bringing together school districts, industry partners and regional occupational programs.
Attendance is free, and students, families and local businesses can register through the OC Pathways Showcase webpage. For more information, contact Amanda Baird at abaird@ocde.us.