What a rewarding experience it was to be able to talk to hundreds of students who will be the
next generation of our workforce. This year there were just over 550 students from Renton,
Enumclaw, Tulalip, Kent, Neah Bay, Port Townsend, Central Kitsap, North Kitsap, North Mason,
South Kitsap, Bainbridge, Tacoma and 10 other school districts. The kids were bussed in, some
drove over 3 hours to attend and see what career options were available to them other than
college. We met quite a few kids that had a passion for cars but most of them were not sure
how to pursue a career in this field. It was rewarding to share with them the iTAC program and
how to get started in this industry. You may even have some young kids come knocking on your
door looking for an after-school job. Invite them in and show them your shop, give them the
chance you were given when you started out. We came back with a few resumes and phone
numbers to some great kids that wanted to get their foot in the door in the automotive world. I
would like to thank Matt, our parts person and Brent, our painter for helping, they both had a
great time and connected well with the kids. It is rewarding to be able to help a student find
their future and help our industry. If you couldn’t make it this year, be sure you set the time
aside next year or contact the NWACA office for the next job fair in the area. I recommend
bringing some team members to these events, they have a passion for this industry and love
sharing it with kids. We met some great teachers and were even invited to come visit their
school to talk to their classes about the automotive sector. Reach out to your local school, most
teachers would love to have a professional come in and talk to their students about different
career paths.