Oregon Production Careers Were Well Represented At The 17th NW Youth Careers Expo

The 17th annual  NW Youth Careers Expo took place last week and was virtual for the first time ever. Over two days thousands of high school students, educators, and professionals came together in two virtual Exhibit Halls, to talk about future careers.  Attendee students logged more than 11,000 unique booth visits per day, many made their way to the Oregon Film booth where they found Koerner Camera, the Art of Make Up School, Willamette Writers, and Shadow Machine standing by to help answers students’ career questions. Koerner Camera ran two interactive camera demonstrations with Q and A, the Art of Makeup School offered a 1960’s beauty makeup and SPFX make-up tutorial as well as a Q and A session, Willamette Writers were there on both days “in” the booth answering questions, and Shadow Machine ran an interactive Zoom presentation and answered questions about animation careers.  Oregon Film sponsors a booth at the Expo every year because it is a unique opportunity for students from all over Oregon to directly interact with production professionals they would otherwise most likely not get the chance to.

According to the Portland Alliance, who put on the event every year, 95% of students in the exit survey described the Expo as “excellent or good”, and 83% said they felt “more prepared” to make informed decisions about their career plans. They noted some of the student comments about the event:

• “Everyone I talked to was very helpful and supportive.”
• “I learned about new things that I had no idea about and I will surely use in the future when applying for a job, writing a resume etc.”
• “It was cool to learn about other fields that I wouldn’t have otherwise really looked into.”

Students can still access the virtual Careers Expo platform for more career exploration through Friday, April 17, and can explore booths, watch auditorium career talks and fill their digital backpacks with career resources.Thank you again to Koerner Camera, the Art of Make Up School, Willamette Writers, and Shadow Machine for bringing a wide variety of career choices for students to take a look at.