There are many exciting ways for Boston-area companies to connect with Boston high school students around careers, including, but not limited to, hosting summer interns. For example, many employer partners participate in school-year career exploration activities that help students identify their career interests and learn about local industries from a diverse group of professionals. Career exploration activities can be one-time commitments or re-occurring events. We will work with you to come up with an individualized plan that works best with your company’s volunteers
To get your company involved or volunteer, contact Josh Bruno, Employer Engagement Director.
Why participate in a career exploration activity?
Participation in a career exploration activity provides employers with the opportunity to:
- Connect employees to volunteer opportunities in diverse communities
- Inspire local youth by exciting them about their industry
- Reinforce the link between academic performance and career attainment
- Screen potential applicants for summer internship opportunities
- Meet your company’s social responsibility and while helping the community where you do business
How do career exploration activities help students?
Participation in career exploration activities provides students with the opportunity to:
- Get excited about possible careers in professional careers
- Understand the connection between possible career interests and postsecondary education
- Practice appropriate workplace behaviors, including arriving on-time and dressing professionally
- Engage in networking activities and begin to build a professional network
- Learn more about a particular industry or company with the goal of working there in the future
The PIC Offers Signature Programming During the Summer and School Year:
Bootcamps
Launched during the COVID pandemic, PIC’s vacation-week bootcamps allow students to earn a small stipend while exploring a career and develop hard skills that will prepare them for jobs and internships. Past bootcamps have provided participants with an opportunity to develop skills in coding, data science, 3D printing, robotics, architecture & design, financial literacy and Microsoft Excel.
Meet the Pros
During the summer, PIC’s Employer Engagement team organizes Meet the Pros, series of virtual career panels for hundreds of PIC BPS youth summer interns working at private sector employers and community-based organizations. Each panel discussion focuses on a different profession– including data scientists, lawyers, designers, entrepreneurs, and sales professionals — and seeks to highlight the career journeys of professionals at various experience levels, from early-career to the C-Suite. The PIC is always looking to expand and include additional sectors, with the goal of exposing students to as many career options as possible
