More than 100 employers will set up at the Tacoma Dome on Friday, Oct. 30, offering on-site job interviews, apprenticeships and internship slots to Tacoma-area young people ages 16 to 24.

Tacoma Public Schools, the City of Tacoma and Korsmo Construction are co-hosting the annual Trades & Hiring Fair, which runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 2727 E D St. The event is free and open to all Pierce County youth, families and community members, according to the district's newsroom.

Employers span construction, skilled trades, healthcare and maritime industries. Many plan to hire on the spot and conduct interviews for entry-level careers, the district said. Colleges, training centers and apprenticeship programs will also have booths. The district advises attendees to bring a resume.

Students 18 and under can ride Pierce Transit and Sound Transit to the fair for free. TPS students who want to attend can register through their school office staff or Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers.

What's inside the fair

A City of Tacoma section called the T-Town: City Services Expo will let attendees watch live demonstrations, learn about city departments and explore municipal career paths.

The fair will also spotlight several TPS workforce programs. Jobs 253, a district program with stipends funded by the City of Tacoma, places high school students ages 14 to 18 in paid internships. Participants can earn a $500 stipend per completed experience and 0.5 elective credits, with a maximum of $1,500 across up to three placements.

The Maritime|253 Skills Center will also have a presence, along with Tacoma FLEX. That program lets students take up to two online courses per day at the start or end of the school day while continuing in-person classes at their home school.

Students can learn how to earn college credit and industry-recognized credentials while still in high school.

Schedule and registration

Last year's fair ran Nov. 7, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the same venue. This year's edition closes two hours later and runs one hour longer overall.

The Tacoma Education Dream Fund and other community and industry partners are supporting the event. Businesses or organizations that want to host a booth can fill out a vendor interest form on the TPS website.