Three Rivers WIB and Citizens Bank Foundation announces 2013 Imagine! Career Week

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                            Contact:            Diana Torralvo

215-893-4287

dtorralvo@bellevuepr.com

7th Annual Imagine! Career Week Announced for April 22-26, 2013

Programming to provide opportunity for more than 4,000 children and young adults to explore career possibilities in the Pittsburgh region and prepare for 21st century careers

PITTSBURGH (April 1, 2013) – The Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board (3RWIB) has announced plans for its 7th annual Imagine! Career Week, being held from April 22-26, 2013. Sponsored by Citizens Bank Foundation, Imagine! Career Week celebrates the diversity of career opportunities available in the Pittsburgh region and helps students consider a wide range of career fields. Imagine! Career Week encourages exploration of career pathways through workplace tours, job shadowing, interactions with employers at job fairs, playing with equipment and tools at trade union training centers, building a robot or attendance at a youth leadership conference.

"Imagine! Career Week aims to promote a better understanding of the range of career pathways available to Pittsburgh's youth through local programs on career exploration," said Stefani Pashman, CEO of 3RWIB. "Our goal is to help young people think about the things they like to do and the variety of routes that lead to careers, flowing naturally from those skills and interests. More than 4,000 local youth who participate in Imagine! Career Week will be exposed to real-world experience and be able to connect with professionals, and learn about the education and skills necessary to succeed in a 21st century workforce."

With a broad scope of active partners, Imagine! Career Week is specifically constructed with events that engage employers, high school teachers and students, parents, community-based organizations, and elected officials.

"Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board has a long history of helping local youth become engaged in the workforce through internships, career exploration and job training programs," said Daniel K. Fitzpatrick, President & CEO of Citizens Bank and RBS Citizens for Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. "Imagine! Career Week also allows for employers to play a key role in shaping Pittsburgh's workforce by developing opportunities for youth to gain work-based knowledge and skills to help further their career goals."

Imagine! Career Week kicks off Monday, April 22, with a breakfast program featuring Pittsburgh's leading business executives, corporations and employers at the Carnegie Science Center. Keynote speaker Bruce Niemeyer, vice president of Appalachian/Michigan strategic business unit for Chevron North American Exploration Production, will lead the morning's program with an inspiring message about the company's global success and its substantial investment in youth and education. The program will also include a video panel of young men and women and corporate leaders discussing the benefits of mentors and work experience on the path to sustainable employment.

A full outline of the week's events is available here.

About Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board

As the leader of Pittsburgh/Allegheny County's public workforce system, Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board (3RWIB) works to ensure that the current and future needs of businesses and job seekers are met. With tens of thousands of jobs available in the Pittsburgh region, 3RWIB is bridging the gap between people looking for work and companies in need of talent. More information is available at www.trwib.org.

About Citizens Bank Foundation

Citizens Bank Foundation is a subsidiary of the Citizens Charitable Foundation, which is a charitable contributions vehicle of RBS Citizens Financial Group, Inc., RBS Citizens, N.A. and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. The foundation's support is focused on human services, affordable housing and economic development. RBSCFG's website is citizensbank.com.

###