Future Focus EXPO
Held each October, the Future Focus Expo is an event that brings together industry and education in a trade-show format where students can explore career opportunities within Region 2000. Click here for the Future Focus EXPO website.
Summary of 2008 EXPO:
Virginia’s Region 2000 Technology Council hosted their Third Annual Future Focus Expo on October 21, 2008 at Liberty University’s Tolsma Indoor Track. Fifty-two local companies and organizations from the region’s top 10 most in-demand job fields participated in this year’s expo. Job fields in Information Technology, Health/Science, Engineering, Manufacturing, Law Enforcement and Public Safety, and Architecture and Construction were showcased. The goal of the expo was to encourage students to explore career fields and paths within our region and to gather information about the required education and training for each field.
High school and middle school students, along with their parents and families, were greeted at the Expo doors by volunteers administering surveys to each student and parent. The surveys assisted in helping the Region 2000 Technology Council understand the student’s and parent’s awareness of careers, training, education and jobs within this region. More than 500 students attended representing twenty-eight of our region’s middle and high schools.
The results of the Expo according to the surveys were very favorable. Ninety-one percent of the students believed there may be a career for them in the Lynchburg area. Seventy-four percent said they would like to come back to the Expo next year. The overall consensus from the student’s comments was that the Expo was “fantastic”. The results of the Parent’s survey were positive as well. Ninety-one percent of the parents agreed that the Expo was beneficial in helping their child find a career field in the Lynchburg area. Ninety-one percent also said the expo helped them understand what education and training is required for their child’s future career. Finally, ninety-eight percent of parents thought the Expo increased their awareness of jobs available in the area.
The student surveys showed an initial interest in all of the 6 career fields. Interest rose in all of the career fields after the Expo. Interest in the Engineering field increased the most followed by Health/Medicine.
This year there was a Technology Challenge area, where more than 200 middle school students from nine area schools participated in four different challenges. These challenges included the Babcock & Wilcox Company Energy Challenge, the CTA Communications Challenge, Wiley & Wilson, CVCC/UVA Engineering Partnership Engineering Challenge, and the Centra Healthcare Challenge. An award ceremony took place at 8:30pm to announce the winners.