OLYMPIC VALLEY, Calif. – Over the past month, Palisades Tahoe opened its doors to students from Truckee High School and North Tahoe High School for a behind-the-scenes look at resort operations through its Work Tour program — a hands-on day designed to display the many careers that keep a ski resort running.

Now in its fourth year, the Work Tour offers students real-world insight into the outdoor industry, with a particular focus on local career opportunities. Whether students plan to attend college, pursue trade school, or enter the workforce after graduation, the program aims to inspire them to see the mountain not just as a place to ski, but as a workplace full of potential.

The day began in the Base Camp Conference Room with breakfast and a welcome briefing that outlined the variety of roles involved in resort operations — from lift maintenance and engineering to mountain safety and avalanche forecasting.

Students then toured the Funitel lift, exploring both its top and bottom terminals, and visited the Vehicle Maintenance Shop at Alpine, where they came face-to-face with snowcats, snowmobiles, and the machinery that keeps the resort moving through winter. In between stops, they heard from longtime resort professionals, learned about on-the-job training opportunities, and discovered how their interests might align with careers in engineering, mechanics, culinary arts, or mountain operations.

The program grew out of a need recognized during the pandemic when more students began exploring nontraditional educational paths. Karen Roske, base operations administrator at Palisades Tahoe, and Syd Earley, risk and safety manager, launched the initiative after seeing this shift firsthand. As parents of high school-aged children, both Roske and Earley noticed a growing interest among local youth in alternatives to four-year colleges—such as trade schools, apprenticeships, and community college programs—which inspired them to create a hands-on experience that could connect students with real-world career opportunities in their own backyard.

Roske and Earley began working with departments to develop apprenticeship programs, particularly in lift mechanics and vehicle maintenance, with the goal of helping local students see themselves as part of the resort’s future workforce.

Since its launch, the program has welcomed students studying engineering, welding, mechatronics, and life skills. Each tour hosts 15 to 30 students, sometimes combining multiple classes. Roske said the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

“They have no idea all of the things that actually go into it,” she said. “For the kids who live here but don’t ski or ride at all, it also opened their eyes to like, ‘Oh, I can actually be inclusive here and find jobs and I don’t have to necessarily ski or ride.'”

The program also brings students into rarely seen parts of the resort, including heavy machinery bays, snow science labs, and kitchen operations. At the end of each tour, students are asked to share their favorite stop of the day.

“Most of them say the back machinery room of the Funitel,” Roske said. 

Several students who first encountered Palisades Tahoe through the Work Tour have since joined the resort’s staff.

At its heart, the Work Tour is about deepening community connections. “Sydney and I both work here and our kids grew up here. We are part of this community and want to do things to make it better,” Roske said. 

Looking ahead, Roske and Earley hope to expand the program even further. They’re exploring ways to allow students to personalize their experience by selecting which departments they’d most like to visit — whether it’s vehicle maintenance, culinary operations, or avalanche forecasting.

Climate change and evolving technology are also shaping the curriculum. Roske noted that snowcats are now equipped with sensors that measure snow depth, giving students real-time exposure to innovation in the field. This year’s mixed precipitation patterns — rain in the valleys, snow at higher elevations — became another lesson in how dynamic the job of a mountain professional can be.

Ultimately, Roske hopes students leave with one key takeaway: the mountain offers more than recreation — it offers real careers.