On October 9, over 200 eighth-grade students from Cannelton City Schools, Perry Central Community School Corporation, and Tell City-Troy Township Schools participated in the Perry County Tour of Opportunities, a countywide career-education initiative organized by Pick Perry County. Participants toured ATTC Manufacturing, Inc., Waupaca Foundry, Webb Wheel and the Ivy Tech Tell City Career and Technology Center to gain hands-on exposure to manufacturing, healthcare and technical careers available in the region.

The event represents a coordinated effort between K-12 educators, postsecondary institutions and local employers to show students real-world career pathways close to home. Community organizers and participating businesses opened production floors and training facilities for guided visits, demonstrations and networking that organizers said were intended to inspire students and encourage them to consider staying in the area after graduation. Perry County News reported on the event on October 23, 2025, and Pick Perry County summarized the initiative in a Facebook post around October 21, 2025.

Local significance is practical and strategic. Perry County faces the same demographic and labor-market pressures as many rural areas — the need to replenish skilled workers in manufacturing and healthcare and to provide economically viable options so young residents do not feel compelled to leave. By creating early exposure to in-county job opportunities and the training pathways that lead to them, the tour aims to strengthen school-to-work pipelines, inform curriculum and vocational programming, and support local employers seeking talent.

Institutionally, the collaboration highlights the role of civic and economic development groups in workforce planning. Pick Perry County served as the organizer, bringing together private-sector employers and Ivy Tech, which provides career and technical education. The participation of three local school systems underscored district-level interest in career readiness and postsecondary alignment. No safety incidents or similar concerns were reported, and reporting from local outlets indicates the details are consistent across sources.

Policy implications extend to local education and economic development priorities. Continued investment in career-technical education, internships, and employer partnerships could reinforce the pathways illustrated during the tour. Measuring outcomes—such as student interest in technical programs, enrollment at Ivy Tech, or eventual local job placement—would help county leaders assess whether such events translate into longer-term retention of young talent and address workforce shortages.

Organizers and reporters noted that follow-up engagement, including collecting feedback from students and employers, would improve future iterations of the program, though current reports do not include such assessments. As Perry County seeks economic stability for families and sustainable local employment, ongoing collaboration between schools, postsecondary institutions, and industry will be key to turning a single-day exposure into durable career pathways for the next generation.