Institute for Social Science Research

Worlds of Work (WoW) is an annual career exposition for middle and high school students in West Alabama. The program is sponsored by West Alabama Works, a regional workforce development agency. The two-day event is designed to expose students to career opportunities in the region that are aligned with workforce needs in West Alabama, including manufacturing, education, healthcare, and more. Held at Shelton State Community College, students have the opportunity to engage in hands-on authentic job-related experiences and talk with people who hold positions in these fields. The evaluation of the program examines the impact of WoW on students’ career interests as well as the factors that affect their interests.

Masters, S., & Barth, J. M. (2022). Middle school, middle skills: 8th graders’ interest in middle-skill occupations. Journal of Career Development https://doi.org/10.1177/089484532210893