Students from Port Arthur’s middle schools will get the chance to explore career opportunities and learn something about the businesses in the area.

Port Arthur Independent School District (PAISD) and Port Arthur Industrial Group (PAIG) are hosting two Career Days on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 at Memorial High School.

The Jan. 31^st Career Day will be for students from Abraham Lincoln Middle School and the Feb. 1^st Career Day will be for students from Thomas Jefferson Middle School.

Both events are scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and will take place in both the auxiliary gym and the adjacent Career and Technical Educational (CATE) Center.

Robin Arceneaux-Beaty, chief education reform academic officer for PAISD, said the event is a collaborative effort geared towards the schools’ eighth graders.

“PAIG and PAISD are sponsoring this event,” Arceneaux-Beaty said. “PAIG has done a phenomenal job. They’ve done a lot behind the scenes.”

Arceneaux-Beaty said there would be a brief overview at the auditorium before students are broken up for breakout sessions in each of the two buildings. The auxiliary gym will host the various companies who have booths and/or tables set up for students.

“It’s a combination of companies,” Arceneaux-Beaty said.

Among the extensive list of groups that will be represented are: Baptist Hospital School of Radiology, City of Port Arthur, PAISD, Lamar State College, Richard Industrial Group, Team Fabricators LLC, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, ABC Trade School and Entergy.

“They’ll be able to have those exhibits, and students could peruse those tables at five-to-six minute schedules,” she said. “There are 13 exhibits; in addition, they will be afforded to tour the CATE building to have hands-on experience on all the courses that we offer.”