More than 1,100 Clark County eighth-graders had a chance to picture themselves pursing their dream jobs in Clark County during the Nov. 12 “It’s All About Me in Clark County” career fair held at the Hollenbeck Bayley Center.
During the all-day event, middle school students from Clark County area school districts met with representatives from 30 local employers including Pentaflex, John Deere, Security National Bank and Speedway. They spoke to the students about 16 different career cluster opportunities at their companies, skill sets and education needed for those jobs, and potential salaries.
“This way, the students are hearing from the employer; not from their parent, not from their teacher, but actually from the employer of what it’s going to take for them to be successful and make whatever amount of money they’re looking to make in that career opportunity,” said Amy Donahoe, director of hiring and employer services for the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce.
Students participated in a pre-event career assessment survey to explore how their interests could translate to future careers. Students were surprised to learn that companies such as Speedway, for example, provide job opportunities in a wide variety of areas, including engineering, accounting, IT and even construction.
The third annual “It’s All About Me in Clark County,” was a collaboration among OhioMeansJobs-Clark County, The Springfield-Clark Career Technology Center, Clark County school districts and the Community Improvement Corporation of Springfield and Clark County.
These officials want students to know that if they go away to college, they can return to Clark County, Donahoe said, and find career opportunities in this community.
It is critical for the future of our community that our young people not only be equipped for the jobs of the future, but that they have the opportunity to pursue those careers close to home. That is why it is even more important for the business community to continue to partner with our local schools to make sure we are producing the talent for the jobs being created today and in the future.
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