Helping hands: Path to Careers links businesses with schools and students

Connecting students with future careers is more crucial than ever as businesses nationwide struggle to fill job openings. Path to Careers, supported by Advance Central PA and PA CareerLink, is addressing this challenge by efficiently and effectively linking businesses with schools and students.

Path to Careers operates through a user-friendly website where businesses and schools in the nine-county Central Region of Advance Central PA create profiles. Businesses utilize these profiles to offer tailored career-awareness experiences to students. These experiences include opportunities such as mock interviews, industry tours, internships, job shadows, co-ops and more.

Students benefit significantly from Path to Careers by exploring diverse career pathways that are readily available and align with their interests and skills. Educators, in turn, gain valuable insights into the skills students need for future success, enabling them to better prepare their students for upcoming challenges. Meanwhile, businesses get to choose the activities they want to offer and seize the opportunity to engage directly with their future workforce.

Businesses in Central PA have already embraced Path to Careers to connect with students. Companies like Chapman Township, First Quality Enterprises, Highway Equipment & Supply Company, Lock Haven Rehabilitation and Senior Living and Wayne Township Landfill have registered. They offer a variety of experiences ranging from mock interviews and summer employment to volunteer opportunities. These initiatives are designed to help students develop professionally and explore potential career paths firsthand. There are currently over 100 experiences listed on the Path to Careers site, with new experiences being added consistently.

If your business is interested in joining Path to Careers or learning more about creating a profile and offering experiences to students, reach out to BusinessSolutions@CentralPACL.com for assistance.

Path to Careers isn’t just a website; it’s a pathway to the future for students, educators and businesses alike. By fostering these connections early on, Path to Careers is paving the way for a stronger, more prepared workforce and a brighter future for everyone involved.

Visit PA CareerLink Centre County for PA CareerLink Awareness Day on Sept. 12 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. to learn more about PA CareerLink employer and job seeker services.

This is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services available upon request to individuals with disabilities, and the program is funded with federal dollars. For more information, visit: advancecentralpa.org/about-us/public-notices.

Judy Fitzgerald is the site administrator for PA CareerLink Centre County.