LEWISTON, Idaho – The 5th annual “Dream It, Do It…Here!” Conference for area 10th and 11th graders to learn about potential career opportunities will be held on May 17 on the campus of Lewis-Clark State College.
The event is sponsored by the college and the Northwest Intermountain “Dream It, Do It...Here!” Council, which is a local alliance, spearheaded by the Clearwater Economic Development Association (CEDA), that is dedicated to recruiting area youth to valued regional occupations and industries. The council is represented by 30 educational and industrial entities, including LC State.
The conference gives students a day to experience local industry and higher education in breakout sessions so they can explore local and future career options in manufacturing, health care, building trades, technology, transportation, hospitality, law, local government, law enforcement, natural resources, and finance. The conference’s goal is to stimulate a student’s interest in pathways that circle back to the region and to continue to grow a regional workforce for industries and businesses. According to CEDA, it is predicted that north central Idaho and southeast Washington will have a workforce shortage of approximately 8,000 workers by 2028.
The conference kicks off at 8:30 a.m. at the LC State Activity Center where students will check in and receive a grab-and-go breakfast and a book bag containing event information and “Dream It, Do It…Here!" swag. There will be an opening program at 9:05 a.m. in the P1FCU Activity Center, followed by breakout sessions at 10 a.m., 10:40 a.m. and 11:20 a.m. The group will return to the P1FCU Activity Center for lunch and prize giveaways at noon. Two afternoon breakout sessions will be held at 12:45 and 1:25 p.m. Students then return to the P1FCU Activity Center for a wrap-up program and the conference ends at 2:30 p.m. In all, students will take part in four industry and at least one higher education sessions.
The conference is free for students, counselors and teachers. Registration information was sent to school counselors in early March. Registration capacity was met well before the registration deadline, and 569 students and 38 counselors are registered to attend. When students registered for the event, they selected their industry preferences and those preferences are matched with sessions. Higher education sessions will show students how they can link educational pathways to careers in the region. Sessions will be held all around campus.
During the session breakouts, industry representatives will share information on their company and organization, along with what skills and education are required for career paths. Admission specialists from LC State, University of Idaho, and Walla Walla Community College will be there and will be part of the higher education session.
Session presenters scheduled to participate include a Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories IT panel, Mike’s Mechanical, Idaho Juvenile Corrections, Clearwater River Casino & Lodge, Tri-State Memorial Hospital, LC State’s Workforce Training, Roger’s Toyota, Idaho Forest Group, and skilled trade unions.