WOW Career Expo To Kick Off Thursday At Shelton State

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The seventh-annual Worlds of Work (WOW) Career Expo is set to once again return to Shelton State Community College on Thursday and Friday.

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The event is expected to bring together numerous industry leaders and education partners, along with 4,000 students from around west Alabama.

On Thursday, ninth graders from across the region will be in attendance from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Additionally, high school students and their parents are invited to WOW Varsity — a free continuation of the event on Oct. 5 from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. at Shelton State.

High school students in have the opportunity to talk one-on-one with industry leaders and prepare for their careers. Students can pre-register via the worldsofwork.com website.

“We’re giving students the opportunity to see the careers the West Alabama region has to offer. WOW can change a student’s career pathway for the better,” Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama Chief Workforce Officer and West Alabama Works Executive Director Donny Jones said. “WOW is like no other event we put on throughout the year."

The Chamber says Jimmy Baker, chancellor of the Alabama Community College System, will deliver the keynote address at the WOW VIP Breakfast Friday, with the breakfast honoring sponsors, industry leaders, education leaders and elected officials who have supported WOW.

What's more, organizers say 63 educators will graduate from the Educator Workforce Academy — a year-long training program for educators in West Alabama, exposing them to workforce development and the region’s industries.

The Chamber of Commerce says 2022-2023 graduates represent school districts in Demopolis City, Fayette County, Greene County, Hale County, Pickens County, Sumter County, Tuscaloosa City, Tuscaloosa County and ACCESS Virtual Learning.

What's more, 53 "top-level" l educators will start their journey during the VIP Breakfast as part of the 2023-2024 Educator Workforce Academy program.

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