PHCC Pinellas (Florida) Partnering With Viega to Engage Students at Junior Achievement Inspire Career Expo

Junior Achievement Inspire Career Expo is a community effort of Junior Achievement and its education partners, which includes: Pinellas county schools, local businesses, and educators.  Together they help shape students’ positive attitudes about their academic or professional futures, and increases their understanding of real-world workforce readiness skills. Junior Achievement and its education partners recognize the growing need to spark an interest in careers and the path to career success before students enter high school. Research has demonstrated that grades, attendance, and engagement in middle school are strong predictors of high school graduation and post-secondary success. The middle grades are a crucial time to engage, or reengage, students and put them on a path to college and career success. 

Junior Achievement Inspire Career Expo is a career-based event filled with learning experiences that are designed to align with what the companies will need from its future employees. Students participate in hands-on activities, often using actual equipment or tools used on a job.  Participants help transform students’ abstract ideas about work into tangible ambitions and plans, and build their soft skills. 

Hunter Botto, President-Elect PHCC National, represented PHCC Pinellas by participating in this event on January 16, 2020.  There were approximate 400 middle school students that attended at the Pinellas County Technical College South (St. Petersburg) campus.

On February 11, 2020, there were approximately 1,000 middle school students that attended.  The following represented PHCC Pinellas at the Pinellas County Technical College North (Clearwater) campus: 

-        Dave Feddon of Feddon Mechanical, LLC, current President of PHCC Pinellas, State Director of Florida PHCC, and Zone Director

-        Diane Berg of Feddon Mechanical, LLC and Executive Director of PHCC Pinellas

-        Ashley Berg of Feddon Mechanical, LLC

-        Will Schott of Viega

At the PHCC Pinellas booth, students were offered an activity that engaged them, while providing a learning and problem-solving experience.  The students had the opportunity to work with PVC pipe and simulated the flow of water by connecting the pipes and fittings.  Some students even opted to compete against their peer. 

At these two event dates, PHCC Pinellas and Viega were able to interact and engage with approximately 1,400 students.