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Johnston County eighth-graders explore careers at JoCo Works career fair

Johnston County Public Schools · December 10, 2025
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Summary

About 3,500 eighth-graders visited the JoCo Works career expo to test hands-on exhibits and meet local employers, with district leaders and teachers highlighting links to CTE pathways, internships and later postsecondary placement.

Eighth-graders from across Johnston County spent two days at the JoCo Works career fair exploring hands-on exhibits, meeting employers and trying out mock job interviews as district leaders highlighted the event’s role in career and technical education pathways.

The event brought students face-to-face with local companies such as Novo Nordisk and included activities designed to expose young people to a range of careers. An on-site narrator described students “hitting it so hard” at an exhibit that tested bead separation with a salad-spinner demonstration, calling the engagement “incredible.”

District staff and CTE presenters said the fair is intended to capture students at an early age and connect them with pathways that continue through high school. “We’ve seen classes who came through this as eighth graders, have graduated, and now they’re into college or the workforce,” an unidentified CTE speaker said, pointing to longer-term placement trends.

Students voiced immediate enthusiasm. One unnamed student asked, “What’s your dream job?” and answered, “Being a medical surgeon,” while others named careers such as astronaut, instructor and sports agent as possibilities sparked by the expo.

Grace Holland of WRAL reported that organizers invited roughly 3,500 eighth-graders and said the event includes follow-up options such as mock job interviews and internships offered through high-school CTE programs.

The district framed JoCo Works as a collaborative effort with local education and industry partners, including Johnston Community College, aimed at broadening students’ awareness of career options and credentials needed for local industries such as biopharma.

Organizers said next steps include continuing high-school internship links and CTE recruitment efforts; no formal policy decisions were announced at the event.