It’s no secret that economic opportunity defines America and that the right career can determine your opportunity. However, an individual’s place of birth, socioeconomic status and access to resources too often determine their destiny and can serve as barriers to career readiness. 

Increasing access to hands-on job opportunities for underrepresented youth can bridge the gap between where a person comes from and where they land within the job market. That’s why the Burlington County Workforce Development Board’s Youth Sub-Committee created Destination Career: Summer Road Trips to the Real World, a three-week program that exposes participants to various in-demand industries and careers. 

Throughout July, students from Rancocas Valley High School and Lenape Regional High School engaged in career-readiness training, including interviewing skills, proper attire, networking and researching various industries. They also visited designated employer sites to tour facilities, ask questions and learn firsthand about each industry. Industries were chosen based upon their projected growth and demand. Students visited Multi-Housing Depot, Habitat for Humanity - ReStore, Ruotolo, Spewak & Co., Miles Technology and Radwell Industries. 

“The tour really opened my eyes into the manufacturing world and helped me realize how many career options are available in that one field. During the tour, I learned how complex and how many individual parts were needed in order to create a good kitchen. I enjoyed seeing how Multi-Housing Depot incorporated modern technology into their business, one example being the CAD modeling system,” student participant Tajvir Dhillon said. “I was surprised to learn that all the models were made from scratch.” 

Students will conclude Destination Career by the end of this month equipped with significant career readiness tools and the knowledge of how to better prepare for their futures. 

Rowan College at Burlington County will host a closing ceremony at 6:30 p.m., on Tuesday, July 30, in the Student Success Center, room 138. Students Niyah Cannon-Dorsey,Tajvir Dhillon, Matthew Esaia, Zaria Henriquez, Taylor Hylton, Raquel Johnson, Alec Kazandijian, Christopher Lam, Elizabeth Maschke, Zariah McBryde, Daniellia Petit-Monche, Guliana Naegeli, John Reilly, Connor Storicks and Niya Willis will be honored with certificates of completion, along with employer participants Multi-Housing Depot, Habitat for Humanity - ReStore, Ruotolo, Spewak & Co., Miles Technology and Radwell Industries.

Burlington County Freeholder Felicia Hopson, members of the Burlington County Workforce Development Board, RCBC and RCBC’s Workforce Development Institute will participate in the ceremony.