From aptitudes to opportunity: Ohio Tech Day

For many students, discovering a potential career path starts with understanding what they’re naturally good at. But seeing those strengths come to life in a real workplace can make the possibilities feel much more tangible.

That’s what happened during Ohio Tech Day, when students from across the Dayton region visited Yaskawa Motoman, a robotics and automation company based in Miamisburg, Ohio, to explore careers in advanced manufacturing and technology.

For one student, the experience brought their YouScience aptitude results to life. After being matched with aptitudes and interests that align with careers in robotics through YouScience, the visit offered a firsthand look at what that future could hold.

“This is my first business I’ve seen like this and it is giving me a new perspective of what I might do in the future,” shared Jerry, a student at Thurgood Marshall High School.

Watch how Ohio students are connecting their natural aptitudes to real-world career opportunities.

Bringing career discovery to life

Students participating in Ohio Tech Day toured the Yaskawa facility, saw industrial robots in action and built miniature robots through hands-on activities.

For some, it was their first exposure to this type of workplace. For others, it helped turn an interest in technology into a potential career path.

These experiences show why career exploration matters. When students see careers firsthand, they can better understand how their strengths and interests connect to real opportunities.

Connecting natural aptitudes to career opportunities

Traditional career exploration often relies on interest surveys that ask students what they enjoy. While interests are important, they don’t always reveal a student’s natural abilities.

YouScience Aptitude & Career Discovery uses objective, performance-based assessments to identify students’ aptitudes and connect those strengths to best-fit careers.

During Ohio Tech Day, Shannon Cox, superintendent of Montgomery County Educational Service Center (ESC), emphasized the importance of combining aptitude insights with real-world career exposure.

“Using YouScience and using those results and then connecting real-world examples, career-connected learning here at places like Yaskawa really allows us to get to the core of who those students are,” Cox shared.

Rather than letting assessment results sit in a report, career navigators use them to guide conversations, help students explore opportunities and make more informed decisions about their futures.

For students like Jerry, connecting aptitude results with hands-on career exposure can turn an unfamiliar career recommendation into something they can actually envision pursuing.

Building connections between education and industry

Career-connected learning also benefits employers looking to develop their future workforce.

At Yaskawa, an employer representative shared how the company’s student internship program has already created opportunities for young talent. After the program’s first students graduated in 2022, two who were hired directly out of high school had advanced into higher-level roles by 2023.

For employers, these partnerships help introduce students to local industries and build connections with emerging talent. For schools, they make career exploration more meaningful by connecting classroom learning and aptitude discovery to workforce opportunities.

Helping Ohio students see what’s possible

Ohio Tech Day demonstrates what’s possible when educators, employers and community partners work together to connect student strengths with real-world experiences.

A student who once saw robotics as a career recommendation can now picture themselves working in the field. Others leave with a better understanding of opportunities they may never have considered.

By connecting aptitude discovery with hands-on career experiences, Ohio communities are helping students see what’s possible and take meaningful steps toward their futures.

Learn how YouScience Aptitude & Career Discovery helps students discover their strengths and explore best-fit careers.