Career Exploration & Work-Readiness

Career fairs and trades days are an essential part of career-connected learning. Students who participate in career exploration can start planning for their post-high lives and careers and figure out what it takes to prepare for life after high school as they get closer to realizing their post-high goals.

When students participate in career fairs and trades days, they get real-world opportunities for contextualizing concepts like career clusters and what their training options are. At the same time, industry partners have a chance to connect and engage with enthusiastic members of the future workforce within their communities while increasing local awareness about their brand, business, or corporate social responsibility initiatives (CSR).

Portland Workforce Alliance (PWA) Career Days

Our wonderful partners at Portland Workforce Alliance (PWA) plan several career days at local businesses and organizations throughout the Portland Metro area.

Check PWA's events page for the most current schedule, as new career days are added frequently.

Upcoming PWA Career Days (2025-26)

Each career day has separate details and registration links; check PWA's website, or follow links below, to register.

Wed, Oct. 8th, 2025 | 8:45 AM - 12:00 PM Turner Construction Career Day

Tue, Oct. 14th, 2025 | 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM Landscape Architecture Career Day (GreenWorks)

Fri, Oct. 24th, 2025 | 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM Business/Electrical Career Day at Christenson Electric

Tue, Oct. 28th, 2025 | 9:00 AM-11:30 AM Microchip Career Day

Tue, Nov. 4th, 2025 | 9:15 AM-12:00 PM PWA Mental Health Careers Day

Wed, Nov. 5th, 2025 | 9:30 AM-12:00 PM KGW News Career Day

Fri, Nov. 7thm 2025 | 9:00 AM-12:00 PM AWS Elemental Tech Career Day

November Career Days are still being scheduled, with new ones added all the time! Check back regularly for more career-related learning opportunities and mentorship experiences, brought to us by our amazing partners at PWA!

Past Career Days (2025-26)

Kaiser Permanente Career Day

Portland Fire & Rescue Career Day

Unfortunately, Reynolds HS cannot offer field trips for groups of students to attend most PWA career days as school-sponsored events. RHS students are welcome to attend PWA Career Days as long as they:

REGISTER individually for each event in advance
ARRANGE their own TRANSPORTATION to and from each event
Have PARENT/GUARDIAN's PERMISSION if student is under 18 years old (permission form is part of the student's online registration process)
Have a PARENT/GUARDIAN CONTACT the RHS ATTENDANCE OFFICE to excuse student's absence if they are missing school to attend a PWA career day.

PWA Career Exploration & Mentorship Programs

PWA plans incredible activities and events for teens throughout the school year and summer break. Check out PWA's career exploration/mentorship opportunities on their website.

PWA plans many great opportunities for HS students, like...

Future of Nursing Mentorship Program - (GR 10/11): Fill out the INTEREST FORM to APPLY today! Applications DUE Thursday, October 16th, 2025

FREE, after-school career exploration/mentorship program for sophomores & juniors interested in nursing. During the program, students engage with local nursing schools and health care employers to explore careers in nursing, get peer coaching from nursing students, gain hands-on experience, and discover pathways into great health care careers.

PWA Youth Impact Council - (GR 10/11/12): APPLY here today (applications accepted on a rolling deadline), but PRIORITY is given to students who APPLY by Friday, October 17th, 2025.

PAID leadership opportunity for sophomores, juniors, and seniors: students can apply to serve as advisory peer leaders while also building relationships and serving the community. Students will learn to be a voice for their fellow students while gaining leadership and career-readiness skills from industry professionals.

ACE Mentor Program - Applications now OPEN! | FREE, after-school career explorating & mentorship program for current juniors and seniors interested in career pathways related to Architecture, Construction, and Engineering.

An ACE Mentor Program INFO SESSION (in-person) is scheduled at Reynolds HS on Tuesday, October 21st in the Career Center. Contact Shannon Selby, College & Career Coordinator, if you want to sign up.

Watch this YouTube video (6:37) to learn more about ACE Mentor Program.

Attend an ACE Mentor Program GENERAL INFO SESSION for students and parents/guardians! Sign up for an INFO SESSION using the registration links below.

Thursday, October 9th, 2025 | 6:00 PM-7:00 PM | virtual (Zoom) | REGISTER here.
Tuesday, November 4th, 2025 | 5:00 PM-6:00 PM | in-person (PSU-Shattuck Hall) | REGISTER here

If you can't attend a live INFO SESSION, you can watch a 46-min. pre-recorded INFO SESSION from 2022.

To apply, complete the two-part application by Thursday, November 6th, 2025.

Both parts of the application must be complete to be considered for the program!

Part 1 (Oregon Affiliate): Complete and submit the Oregon Local Application below (approximately 10-12 minutes).
Part 2 (National Database): Registered through the ACE National Database linked below.*