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Nearly 700 Northern Virginia students gathered at the Inova Center for Personalized Health on February 18 for the fifth annual Instruction 2 Industry Future Ready Conference.
The group included 500 Fairfax County Public Schools students and 200 students from neighboring districts. They explored career paths, built professional connections and gathered advice for life after graduation.
Healthcare, digital technology, public service and safety, entrepreneurship, and other high-demand fields were represented.
Zara, a Hayfield Secondary School student, said immersive events like the conference help her discover programs connected to her future interests.
Nearly 200 professionals participated, sharing career experiences and representing employers and institutions including Booz Allen Hamilton, Apple Federal Credit Union, Inova and the University of Virginia.
Lynn Otto, a college and career specialist at Madison High School, said the event gave students access to an unusually broad selection of businesses and organizations in one place.
The conference also allowed employers to meet potential future workers as industries contend with critical staffing shortages.
Nathan Mart, Inova’s university and community relations consultant for K-12 programs, said conversations with working professionals can help students identify possible career paths. He added that the students’ enthusiasm and motivation allowed Inova employees to see them as potential members of the future healthcare workforce.
Catherine, a Madison High School student, said the conference showed her the diversity of opportunities within different fields and left her more eager to pursue medicine.
Students also practiced mock interviews and learned workplace communication skills through short networking sessions.
Inova hosted the conference in partnership with Northern Virginia school districts and Virginia Ed Strategies. The annual event takes place each February during Career and Technical Education Month and supports FCPS’ goal of expanding postsecondary pathways under its 2023-30 strategic plan.