First Local JA Inspire Live Career Exploration Event

Contact: Ruth Corcoran (570) 472.0365

Junior Achievement of NEPA announces first local JA Inspire Live Career Exploration Event

WILKES-BARRE, PA – MARCH 1, 2023—Junior Achievement of NEPA announced the launch of JA Inspire Presented by DiscoverNEPA Powered by Mericle. This one-of-a-kind career exploration event will bring together the local business community and NEPA schools to help introduce students to a world of future work options. It will provide students with the opportunity to learn about careers in a variety of industries and sectors.

JA Inspire encompasses a Live Career Exploration Event, as well as Virtual Inspire. The live event will take place at Mohegan Sun Pennsylvania Convention Center on April 18, 2023. JA Inspire Live will bring together 2,000 high students from 13 local school districts with professionals from more than 60 local businesses in ten different industry clusters for a hands-on, immersive career exploration experience. JA Inspire Virtual will run April through June and is available for NEPA students in 7th – 12th grades, ensuring this virtual career exploration tool is readily available for all students. Thousands of students in JA’s 13 county footprint are expected to participate in Virtual Inspire.

“We believe that young people, with the right mentoring and influences, can change the communities in which we live. Our goal is to help students graduate from high school with a vision of their own future success and a pathway to get there. JA programs, like Inspire, help students find their passions and expose them to a wide variety of career opportunities,” said Susan Magnotta, President, Junior Achievement of NEPA. “The JA Inspire Career Exploration Event & Virtual Experience will help connect kids with the needs of the community, learn from experienced mentors, and discover all of the opportunities that are right here in their own backyard.”

“It is our hope that the JA Inspire Career Exploration event will help give local students the hands-on interaction and information they need to envision future career options right here in NEPA,” added Ruth Corcoran, JA Inspire Live Event Chair. “As a local business owner, I realize this is a win not only for area students but for area businesses as well. It’s a unique way for local companies to engage and build their future talent pipeline.”

Students who participate in the JA Inspire event will:

Connect with professionals from some of NEPA’s most prominent employers.
Explore career pathways and learn about the skills needed for in-demand jobs.
Recognize career clusters that match their skills and interests.
Identify job and internship opportunities.
Assess their soft skills and identify room for improvement.
Receive help with resume building, interview skills, and financial literacy skills.
Have the opportunity to listen to some of NEPA’s most successful entrepreneurs speak.

Sponsorships are critical for Junior Achievement to continue providing life-changing programs to students in our community. We would like to thank the many sponsors helping to make JA Inspire a reality in NEPA, including our Presenting Sponsor: DiscoverNEPA Powered by Mericle, and our Industry Champion Sponsors: M&T Bank, Geisinger, Highmark, Building Blocks Learning Center, and Procter & Gamble.

While the JA Inspire Live Career Exploration event is at full capacity, we are still accepting sponsorships to help further our reach in area schools. For information on becoming a JA sponsor or for more information about JA Inspire, visit nepa.ja.org or contact Brandy Lewis, program director, at 570-602-3600.

About Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement is the nation’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their futures, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA’s programs – in the core content areas of work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy – ignite the spark in young people to experience and realize the opportunities and reality of work and life in the 21st century. Nationally, Junior Achievement reaches more than 4.8 million students per year.

Industry Clusters Represented at the JA Inspire Live Career Exploration Event: