Secure Your spot at Johnston County’s Premier 8th-Grade Career Expo!

SMITHFIELD, NC — Secure your spot at Johnston County’s premier 8th-grade career expo! Featured on WRAL, JOCO WORKS WOW (November 5–6, 2026) is an immersive experience where students explore career paths through hands-on activities with local employers. Led by the JOCO WORKS Collaborative, with the Triangle East Chamber of Commerce at the helm, this initiative directly helps build the local workforce pipeline.

Participating businesses gain massive reach, connecting with more than 3,000 students over the two-day event. Employers drive high engagement by showcasing their respective industries through quick, 3-to-5-minute interactive activities at their booths.

While multiple exhibitor options are available, the top World Leader Sponsorship only has two exclusive industry slots remaining: Transportation & Logistics and Entrepreneurship & Small Business. Don't miss the chance to invest in your future workforce. Click HERE to view full engagement options and register today. Businesses are requested to register by Tuesday, June 30, 2026. 

The JOCO WORKS suite includes three programs: WOW, PRO, and NOW. 

• WOW (Worlds of Work Expo) is an industry-led initiative, supported by education, business, civic, and government partners, to address our community’s workforce needs. The program culminates in a curriculum and in-person career exposition tailored for 8th-grade students. This event occurs annually in November. 
• PRO (Youth Professional Conference) is a half-day intensive designed for 10th-grade students to prepare for work-based learning opportunities. Students attend workshops on topics such as interviewing and workplace best practices, led by local employers. The conference takes place annually in February.
• NOW (Navigating Opportunities at Work) is a partnership between local chambers of commerce, area employers, and Johnston County Public Schools Career & Technical Education (CTE) to provide structured summer work-based learning (WBL) opportunities for students. Internships are hosted each year during the summer.

Have questions? Please contact briannawalker@triangleeastchamber.com.