Thousands of local students connect with future employment opportunities

Close to 2,500 local students from area high schools got a glimpse at many profitable possibilities during Workforce Solutions Southeast Texas’ 8th annual Youth Career Expo “Connect to Your Future!,” where the prospective workforce had the chance to learn about abundant educational and employment opportunities.

The students attending the all-day event at Ford Park in Beaumont on Feb. 24 interacted with representatives from manufacturing, petrochemical, construction, public safety, health care, finance and legal fields, as well as post-secondary education institutions and military branches.

Workforce Solutions Southeast Texas Executive Director Mary Hammon said the event is designed to allow students to not only hear about the jobs they may one day be performing, but to actually participate in interactive displays available at the majority of booths at the career expo and make connections with the people doing those jobs. 

Hammon said, “It’s an exciting day for us! We have about 150 exhibits out here, and most of them are hands-on exhibits of actual careers that are available in our area so that students can learn what they can do and what they’re interested in – or not interested in – and maybe stay in our area when they get older. Most of the kids that come are juniors and seniors from area high schools.

“It shows the support of the area employers for the youth and that they want them to stay here. They want them to have what they have… It’s a very important event.”

According to Hammon, all of the local Lamar colleges were represented at the event, as well as the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines and area sheriff’s offices. Baptist Hospitals, CHRISTUS and The Medical Center of Southeast Texas had booths, as did Acadian Ambulance Service. Students toured marine vessels, ambulances and other modes of transportation on display at different exhibits, and had the chance to meet a K-9 deputy and “Little Mo,” Motiva’s gas-detecting robot.

Joe and Kim Gilbreath are analyzers for Motiva. They have ben bringing Little Mo to the career expo for a few years to show youth the possibilities, and innovative technology, they have discovered on their career journeys.

“We are talking to the youth about all the opportunities at the different refineries. We’re representing industry in Southeast Texas. That’s us, ExxonMobil, Chevron, BASF – so it’s a group effort,” said Joe. “Whether it’s engineering, or instrumentation, or electricians… there’s a lot of opportunity here that maybe even the teachers or counselors aren’t aware of. We started doing this to share that with the students.

“Kim and I both started as electricians, learned instrumentation, then got to the next level – analyzers.”

“It’s fine-tuning instruments for the process,” Kim explained.

Sometimes that means working on environmental monitoring equipment that ensures smokestacks are functioning within normal parameters. Joe and Kim generally perform tasks at the refinery that make the plant, and more importantly plant workers, safe.

“Kim and I do gas detection in the plant, for toxic and explosive gases,” Joe described. “In the unit, you have detectors by certain pumps and equipment telling you if you have a leak, and that’s going to set off lights and horns… In spots where you don’t have them, when we did have a gas release, the operator would have to put on fresh air (using a breathing apparatus), and walk out there with a handheld detector and get right up next to it and check the reading. We thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to use a robot?’”

Little Mo assists operators in detecting gas from a distance, looking for hotspots remotely and performing additional tasks that make for a safer workplace.

“It gives you feedback,” Kim said of the robot. “We have tons of cameras on here so you can actually sit back and see what’s going on using a laptop or a tablet.”

Local refineries provide lucrative job opportunities, say Kim and Joe, but it’s not all about buying a big house and a big car, they shared.

“It’s about longevity,” Joe posited. “It’s about working for a place where you have benefits and job security.”

Tiffany Williams-Parker is a Department Chair of Technology for Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT). She was at the career expo to highlight the practical knowledge students can gain at the Beaumont campus that may be later utilized to get those profitable positions at local plants and construction companies.

“We have industry-based skilled labor programs in place, and all eight of our programs are present here today,” Williams-Parker described.

Students in Technology programs at LIT can earn degrees or certificates in specializations including Advanced Engine; Computer Drafting Technology; Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC); Industrial Mechanics Technology; Instrumentation Technology; Process Operating Technology; Utility Line Technology; and Welding.

“Right now, there’s a shortage in the skilled labor workforce,” said Williams-Parker. “Being here and having hands-on equipment to allow students to see how it works, and see how we educate and prepare them for the workforce, will help fill those gaps. There has been continuing growth, and industry will continue to grow and continue to have jobs available for future LIT students.”

Richard Corbello says he is living proof that LIT programs can lead to rewarding careers. He attended the expo and met a former instructor who Corbello says was “instrumental” to his current success.

“I went to LIT for Instrumentation, and I took several courses from Mr. (Edgar) Neely, and they were all good,” commented Corbello. “I learned so much from him, and at the time you learn these things, you don’t really know how you’re going to apply them at first, but once you get out in the job field, little lightbulbs start to go off and that’s from a lot of his teachings. I still have notebooks, the books that I had in class, and they’ve helped me along the way. I’ve been at the same company for almost 14 years now.

“It’s an honor just to say ‘hi’ to him and tell him what he meant to me.”

“This is what makes it all worthwhile,” Neely shared after seeing his past student. “Meeting Mr. Corbello this morning just made my day. He’s doing well. I remember him as a young man, and to walk up and see this grown man doing so well just makes it worthwhile. It keeps me instructing.

“I got into this field to make sure people working in the industry get the proper training they need. I get a lot of gratification from it.”

Lawyers, engineers, EMTs, pipefitters – just about every industry in Southeast Texas – joined Workforce Solutions in encouraging students to achieve their best potential futures. While the Texas Workforce Commission provided the base funding for the youth event, the support of local financial sponsors, partners and volunteers allowed Workforce Solutions “to create an engaging, informative platform that provides resources to aid students in career decisions, as well as parents, teachers and counselors.”

Platinum-level sponsors for the 2022 Youth Career Expo included Industry of Southeast Texas, Natgasoline and AT&T. International Paper, Industrial Safety Training Council, Lamar University, Lamar State College Port Arthur and Golden Pass LNG supported the event as Gold-level sponsors. Silver-level sponsors included ABC Southeast Texas, Sabine Area Building & Construction Trades Council, Entergy Texas, Golden Triangle Business Roundtable, Lamar Institute of Technology, Lamar State College Orange, Port of Beaumont, Port of Port Arthur and The Lee Group.

Partners and volunteers for the event included representatives from Region 5 Education Service Center, Southeast Texas Human Resources Association, Junior Achievement of the Golden Triangle, Texas Workforce Solutions Vocational Rehabilitation, Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Southeast Texas.

“The success of the Youth Career Expo can be attributed to our financial sponsors, volunteers, and to the exhibitors, businesses, colleges and training institutions, which engaged our students. The exhibits are exciting and, according to students’ comments, were highly effective in demonstrating various occupations,” remarked Hammon of Workforce Solutions Southeast Texas.

Sue Daniels, Workforce board chair stated, “Our partnership with education, business and industry in Southeast Texas to create a world-class workforce is evident by the participation we see here today. Virtually every local industry is represented, and the students, our future workforce, are thoroughly engaged at all the booths. We want to thank our sponsors for their continuing support of the Youth Career Expo.”

Dylan Lynch of Kirbyville High School attended the Youth Career Expo, and said he learned a lot about some very interesting fields he hadn’t considered before.

“I’m looking to see what kind of careers I’m interested in, if trade school is an option. I’m trying to find my interests,” said Lynch. “I’ve seen a lot of stuff. I came here looking for information on mechanical engineering and trade schools. I saw some schools, and then I saw some real-world companies that are offering jobs and positions. It’s a lot different when you see what an engineer is and you see what the company does. It’s good to see these companies come out here and give a little demonstration of what they are.”

The 9th annual Youth Career Expo is scheduled for Feb. 2, 2023. Companies interested in sponsorship and exhibitor commitments, and that want to show local students what the future could hold for them, should contact the board office at (409) 719-4750 or email info@setworks.org.

About Workforce Solutions Southeast Texas

Workforce Solutions Southeast Texas is one of 28 Workforce boards in the state of Texas that is responsible for leading and governing the regions workforce system. As an administrative body, it provides oversight for employment and training programs in our area. The Southeast Texas region consists of the counties of Hardin, Jefferson and Orange counties. Visit Workforce Solutions online at https://setworks.org/ for additional information about the organization.