The 2025 TalentEd Health Careers Expo, hosted on Thursday, May 15, at Henry Ford College, was a dynamic and engaging event aimed at inspiring high school students to explore the vast array of career opportunities in the health care field. Nearly 100 students from four local schools participated in this one-day, hands-on experience.
The Expo provided students with the chance to discover in-demand health care roles, training pathways, and postsecondary programs through interactive and real-world learning activities. Exhibitors played a crucial role in the event, engaging directly with students to showcase their professions and programs in a lively and informative setting.
A highlight of the event was the incorporation of the Digital Passport Experience, which encouraged each exhibitor to prepare an interactive task or “mission” for students to complete. These missions, designed to make health care careers tangible and exciting, included activities such as:
- Composing a healthy, balanced plate of food using plastic food models.
- Assessing patient cases on mannequins, including identifying the problems and performing various medical procedures such as CPR, first aid, and compassionate care.
- Taking photos of hazards identified in the provided hazardous worksite.
- Testing their own eyes with multiple tests such as vision, color, Amsler grid, and stereo testing. Students also tried on glasses which demonstrate various eye diseases.
The missions were integrated into the GooseChase digital platform, allowing students to complete them via mobile devices. Points were awarded for each completed mission, with prizes for top participants. This gamified approach not only motivated students but also helped measure engagement and collect valuable feedback.
Overall, the 2025 Health Careers Expo succeeded in creating an interactive and inspiring environment for students to explore health care career pathways and foster connections with health care professionals. In addition, the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Regional Health Care Collaborative’s support was instrumental in bringing this vision to life, serving as one piece of a broader effort to strengthen the health care talent pipeline in the Detroit Region.
View photos from the event here. Plus, subscribe to the Chamber’s TalentEd newsletter and stay tuned for upcoming events. Interested in participating as a school or an employer in 2026? Email Gillian Ryan, Health Programs Engagement Specialist at the Chamber, at gryan@detroitchamber.com.