Press releases are posted on Independent. com as a free community service. November 21, 2025-Lompoc, CA More than 100 students from across the Lompoc Valleyparticipated in the second annual Pathways: A Career Conference for Teens, hosted by the Lompoc Teen Center on Saturday, November 15, 2025 at Lompoc High School, despite a severe atmospheric river affecting the region. The conference is part of a growing effort to expand career exploration, skill development, and paid internship opportunities for students in support of the Lompoc Youth Workforce Pipeline, an initiative led by Santa Barbara County Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann. Hosted by the Lompoc Teen Center in partnership with FPA Multifamily/G. A. Fowler Family Foundation, Allan Hancock College, and Lompoc Unified School District, the event provided students in grades 7 to 12 with hands-on keynote speakers, a career & college fair, interactive workshops, direct engagement with professionals, and mentorship and internship opportunities. Keynote Speakers The program opened with remarks from Dr. Clara Finneran, Superintendent of Lompoc Unified School District. Dr. Finneran spoke about the importance of aligning education with real-world opportunities and building partnerships that help students explore future career pathways while still in school. Supervisor Joan Hartmann delivered the keynote address, outlining her Lompoc Youth Workforce Pipeline initiative. The initiative seeks to streamline career exploration, skill-building, education, training, and local employment opportunities by coordinating efforts among school districts, colleges, employers, community organizations, and local government. “Even in the midst of pouring rain, hundreds of teens showed up ready to explore their futures, and their energy was truly palpable,” commented Supervisor Hartmann. “I’m grateful to be part of efforts that expand career pathways and broaden the horizons of so many young people excited to learn what is possible for them.” Career & College Fair The career & college fair connected students directly with local colleges, training programs, employers, and community resources, including: Allan Hancock College Casa Pacifica Collective Cultures Creating Change (C4) Center for Employment Training (CET) Goodwill MIssion Services Laurus College Lompoc Police Department Lompoc Public Library Path to Achievement Planned Parenthood of California Central Coast Santa Barbara County Education Office (SBCEO) Santa Barbara Zoo STARBASE Unity Shoppe Interactive Workshops Designed for Hands-On Career Exploration Students participated in four one-hour interactive workshops led by industry professionals representing a variety of high-demand career pathways, including: Animal Science by Santa Barbara Zoo Business Administration by FPA Multifamily Cybersecurity by Digital Ethic Dental & Oral Health by Village Dental Center Education (K-12) by Lompoc Unified School District Emergency Fire Services by City of Lompoc Fire Department Engineering (Civil, Electrical, Environmental) by Canvas Inc. and Trihydro Corp. Financial Aid by Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara High Fashion Modeling by DNA Model Management Law by Sanger, Hanley, Sanger & Avila LLP Nursing by Lompoc Valley Medical Center Comprehensive Care Center Sports Medicine by The Training Room Union Trades (HVAC, Pipefitting, Plumbing, Welding) by UA Local 114 Youth Career Services (Goodwill Industries of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties Goodwill Mission Services) Students who completed a paid summer internship through the Lompoc Teen Center presented their internship projects to student peers, keynote speakers, workshop presenters, and community partners, highlighting how their internships resulted from the networking opportunities they gained by attending last year’s conference. Student Experience and Impact Students received free breakfast, lunch, swag, raffle entries for AirPods and an iPad, as well as full access to all components of the Career Pathways Conference. Many students expressed interest in returning as interns and presenters at future conferences. The Lompoc Teen Center is a nonprofit organization that provides a safe-space for at-risk teens (7th-12th grade) to achieve academic success and college and career readiness.
https://www.independent.com/2025/11/25/lompoc-teen-center-hosts-second-annual-pathways-a-career-conference-for-teens/
Lompoc Teen Center Hosts Second Annual ‘Pathways: A Career Conference for Teens’
