Youth career expo gets underway in Pittsylvania County

Six school districts from across Southside attending two-day event

PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. – Middle and high school students across Southside are getting a chance to learn more about some of the careers available in the region.

Wednesday was the first day of the annual Youth Career Expo in Pittsylvania County.

Seventh and ninth-graders from six school districts get hands on experience from 70 different companies and organizations.

Organizations like the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center, which are trying to fill skilled labor jobs like welding, said the expo is a big help.

"I learned how, if you push yourself to great things, you can have a lot of money in life," seventh-grader Diondray Stanfield said when asked what he had learned at the expo.

"We are highlighting the welding program because it's actually a high-demand technical field where we are struggling right now to find qualified welders to employ within the region," said Scarlett Brandon, who was helping man the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center's booth at the expo.

The expo wraps up Thursday.