These one-day conferences provide Grade 8 students throughout the Northwest Territories with an opportunity to learn about some of the exciting career options available to them. The NWT hosts two conferences each winter, one for young women and one for young men.

Each conference starts with an opening ceremony that includes an orientation, guest speakers, and an ice-breaker activity. The ice-breaker activity is both fun and educational and provides youth with opportunities to win prizes throughout the day. This is followed by Cracker Barrel sessions, where one mentor is stationed at each table with a sign identifying his or her name and occupation. Conference participants can choose a mentor whose occupation interests them and then spend fifteen minutes with this mentor before moving to another table for the second Cracker Barrel session.

Next, the participants go to their morning workshops, which provide them with a chance to do hands-on activities and gain a greater understanding of various occupations ranging from aircraft maintenance engineers to welders to aestheticians.

The workshops are followed by lunch, another round of Cracker Barrel sessions, and afternoon workshops. Finally, there is a brief closing ceremony that provides time for evaluation forms and time to thank all of the people who help make the conferences a success each year.