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Career Exploration Workshop

Connecting Young People With Career Opportunities

There is a high demand for young tradespeople in Wisconsin, and Focus on Energy is in a unique position to help. Our Career Exploration Workshops help build connections between local high schools and Trade Ally contractors to educate students about rewarding career opportunities. Developed by an advisory panel of technical education instructors and contractors, Career Exploration Workshops are supplemented with a variety of resources to make the workshops an easy and engaging experience for students, contractors, and educators.

Person wearing a cap, sunglasses, and climbing harness stands outdoors against a clear blue sky.
A bearded person in a light checkered shirt stands before a whiteboard with colorful sticky notes, holding a marker and gesturing as they speak.

Getting Started: Tips and Tools for Educators

Start by planning a Career Exploration Workshop for your students. Focus on Energy can help you set one up by connecting you with HVAC and solar companies.

Tools for setting up an HVAC Career Exploration Workshop Tools for setting up a Solar Career Exploration Workshop Career Exploration Workshop - In-Class Presentation

Getting Started: Tips and Tools for Contractors

Setting up a Career Exploration Workshop at a local school is the first step. Focus on Energy offers resources for reaching out to educators to help you get started.

Tools for setting up an HVAC Career Exploration Workshop Tools for setting up a Solar Career Exploration Workshop
An outdoor HVAC technician wearing a green cap and blue gloves inspects a filter on an air conditioning unit.
Two workers on a sloped roof installing a dark solar panel array, wearing safety harnesses, with a blue sky above.

Presentation Outlines

A presentation outline can help guide the conversation and Q&A during the workshop. They can also be customized as needed based on preference.

HVAC Workshop Presentation Outline Solar Workshop Presentation Outline

Promotional Flyers

Using promotional flyers is a great way to help build excitement about your workshop. These customizable PDF templates allow you to add the date, time, and location of the workshop.

HVAC Workshop Promotional Flyer Solar Workshop Promotional Flyer
Two workers in high-visibility safety jackets and hard hats inspect a rooftop HVAC unit beside other industrial equipment on a paved area.
Person with short hair and light beard in profile, holding a small object between their fingers and looking at it, with a blurred outdoor urban background.

Promotional Videos

These videos contain real, first-hand accounts of the benefits, rewards, and opportunities that come with a career in the industry. We encourage educators to show this video prior to and/or as part of the workshop. Focus on Energy Trade Ally contractors are also encouraged to use these videos for their own recruitment purposes.

HVAC Career Exploration Video Solar Career Exploration Video

Career Overview Flyers

Provide the students and their parents with some quick facts about the industry with these flyers. They can be given to students before or during the workshop.

HVAC Career Overview Flyer Solar Career Overview Flyer
Person with curly hair wearing an orange sweater raises their hand with a pen in a bright classroom, as classmates sit at desks taking notes.
Person in a white hard hat and neon hi-vis vest uses a laptop outdoors near solar panels.

Press Release Templates

Once the workshop is complete, we encourage schools or contractors to share information with local community publications along with photos from the event. Note that written permission from any student or a guardian for students under the age of 18 is required.

Photo Permission Template (Coming Soon)

HVAC Workshop Press Release Template Solar Workshop Press Release Template
A person in a blue polo stands at the front of a classroom, presenting with a clipboard as students sit at desks facing a projector screen.
Workshop In Action

Want to see what a Career Exploration Workshop could look like in your classroom? Having trouble envisioning yourself as a presenter? Watch this example video to see an HVAC Trade Ally contractor join a Wisconsin high school technology education class for a Career Exploration Workshop. Learn how industry professionals and teachers invested in the next generation.

Need Assistance?

If you need support connecting with a local Trade Ally contractor or high school, please contact Karl Hilker at karl.hilker@focusonenergy.com

HVAC Workshop Resources

Solar Workshop Resources

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