Boardman Students Explore Tech Futures at Regional Career Expo

Hundreds of students from Boardman and surrounding Morrow County converged on a regional event this week, getting a hands-on look at the high-tech careers that could shape Eastern Oregon’s future. The 2026 Career Expo, a major draw for the area, shifted its focus heavily toward the growing technology and data sectors that are increasingly vital to local industry.

For students in Boardman, where data centers and advanced agriculture technology are key economic drivers, the expo provided a direct line to potential hometown careers. Representatives from major local employers, including those in sustainable energy, cloud computing support, and agricultural tech, were on hand to demonstrate the real-world applications of skills learned in the classroom.

“It’s one thing to talk about coding or network engineering in class, but it’s another to see how those skills keep a data center running or optimize irrigation for a local farm,” said one Boardman High School junior. “It makes the path after graduation feel much more tangible and right here at home.”

Organizers emphasized that the goal was to connect students with the innovation happening in their own backyard. With major investments in technology infrastructure continuing in the Columbia River corridor, the demand for a skilled local workforce is projected to rise sharply. Events like this expo aim to ensure Morrow County’s students are first in line for those opportunities, blending global tech trends with local economic needs.