WorkLocal Industry Immersion Days (includes Job Shadowing & Workplace Immersions)
Through Industry Immersion Days, students visit regional employers to explore career opportunities, company culture, and industry trends through job shadowing and paid internships. These experiences strengthen university industry connections and help students make informed career decisions while supporting local talent to stay and thrive in the region.
- In Spring 2026, we successfully launched inaugural WorkLocal Immersion Days in partnership with Caltrans and Think Together with 18 students participating.
- Activities spanned from job shadowing across a variety of career pathways to home office tours and philanthropic experience.
WorkLocal Opportunities
Caltrans Industry Immersion Day
Caltrans Industry Immersion Day, an on-site experience designed to help you explore careers, build your network and learn directly from Caltrans professionals.
What You'll Do:
- Learn about Caltrans careers, culture, and pathways
- Participate in a job shadow activity/project in one of five tracks
- Enjoy lunch provided by the CSUSB Career Center
- Attend a closing panel with Caltrans professionals
- Job Shadow Tracks (5 students selected per tracks below)
Think Together Industry Immersion Day
What You'll Do:
- Learn about career pathways at Think Together
- Participate in a job shadowing/activity experience
- Engage in a Lunch & Learn with professionals (lunch provided)
- Take a Home Office + production tour
- Meet teams across the organization
PDC WorkLocal Industry Immersion Days (includes Job Shadowing & Workplace Immersions)
Through Industry Immersion Days, students are invited to spend time on-site with key employers in the region to learn about career opportunities, company culture, and industry trends. These experiences strengthen ties between our university and the local economy, while preparing students to take informed next steps in their career journeys. The program helps local talent stay local and thrive.
At its core, WorkLocal is about creating direct pathways between our students and the communities in which they live and aspire to work. Through experiences such as our Industry Immersion Days, students step beyond the classroom and into professional environments, gaining firsthand exposure to workplace culture, career pathways, and in-demand skills in our regional economy.
This fall, we successfully launched our inaugural WorkLocal Industry Immersion Days at the Palm Desert Campus:
- 67 students participated on-site with Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD)
- 64 students participated on-site with Desert Sands Unified School District (DSUSD)
- 26 students engaged on-site with Altus Schools of the Desert
- 20 students engaged on-site with Coachella Valley Unified School District (CVUSD)
PDC WorkLocal Partners
Faculty Champions Faculty Champions
- Dr. Michael Karp
- Dr. Dany Doueiri
- Amanda Reigle
- Lacey Kendall
PDC Career Center Shoutout
Oscar demonstrated a strong commitment to developing, implementing, and advancing the CSUSB Career Center’s WorkLocal Initiative through intentional collaboration with faculty, community partners, employers, and educational institutions across the Coachella Valley. His leadership and dedication to strategic engagement and partnership development have created meaningful career-readiness opportunities that connect students directly to local economic drivers and employment pathways. Oscar believes the WorkLocal Initiative serves as a transformative bridge between higher education and regional workforce needs, helping students transition successfully into professional careers. His continued efforts are focused on positioning WorkLocal as a gold-standard model for career engagement and workforce preparation across the California State University system.
-Dr. Dany Doueiri
Employer Testimonial
Altus Schools value the partnership with the CSUSB Career Center and the WorkLocal Initiative. Altus Schools are dedicated to providing personalized education that fosters student success, and through this collaboration, students have been provided with meaningful opportunities to engage in career exploration, workforce readiness, and professional development experiences that directly connect education with local economic opportunities. The WorkLocal Initiative represents an innovative and community-centered approach to supporting student success, regional workforce development, and educational advancement. We support the continued growth and expansion of this initiative and believe it serves as a strong model for collaboration between K-12 education, higher education, and industry partners.
-Altus Schools
Faculty Testimonial
PDC WorkLocal Industry Immersion Days give aspiring history teachers the opportunity to step beyond the classroom and experience the realities of today’s educational workplaces firsthand. Students had the opportunity to participate in on-site workshops with all three school districts across the Coachella Valley, giving them the ability to connect directly with educators, administrators, and school communities while exploring career pathways, workplace culture, and the evolving needs of K–12 education. These experiences helped students understand professional expectations, the realities of district needs, and what they need to do to obtain careers close to home — which is the goal of many of our students. Whether applying locally or across the country, the WorkLocal Industry Immersion days provided invaluable hands-on professional experience for students while demonstrating CSUSB’s commitment to developing the next generation of educators.
-Michael T. Karp, PhD
Partner Statement of Support
Palm Springs Unified School District values its partnership with the CSUSB Career Center and the WorkLocal Initiative. Through this collaboration, students have been provided with meaningful opportunities to engage in career exploration, workforce readiness, and professional development experiences that directly connect education with local economic opportunities. The WorkLocal Initiative represents an innovative and community-centered approach to supporting student success, regional workforce development, and educational advancement. We fully support the continued growth and expansion of this initiative and believe it serves as a strong model for collaboration between K-12 education, higher education, and industry partners.
Teresa Haga, Ed.D.
