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Career fair gives glimpse of work world

Deborah Prescott | Daily Press Students attend a career fair at Escanaba High School Wednesday. High school students from throughout the area met with representatives of businesses and organizations to explore career choices.

ESCANABA — High school students from throughout the area got a glimpse at career opportunities during the High School Career Fair Wednesday at Escanaba High School.

Attending were juniors and seniors from Bark River-Harris, Nah Tah Wahsh, and North Central High Schools, and sophomores, juniors, and seniors from Escanaba High School. The second annual career fair was held by the Delta County College Access Network (DCCAN), Community Foundation for Delta County, and the Delta-Schoolcraft Intermediate School District, and led by DCCAN Director Kathy Becker.

Businesses and organizations described possible career choices to students and the path they should take to achieve them. The first of two career fairs was held in the Gladstone High School previously with junior and senior students from Gladstone, Rapid River, Mid Peninsula, Manistique and Big Bay de Noc schools.

“This is our second year running a career fair, two this year, one in Gladstone and Escanaba,” said Becker. “North Central and all the Delta and Schoolcraft juniors and seniors attended, and this year we added the Escanaba sophomores. Over 1,000 students have participated in this year’s career fair.”

Students picked up a “passport” upon entering the career fair and used it to note the businesses and organizations they met with. Students were asked to speak with a minimum of four representatives. Each professional signed their name and business on the “passport” after speaking with the student, and the student wrote down what they learned from the speaker before returning the “passport” by the end of the career fair. All students who returned their “passport” with four entries on it were entered in a prize drawing.

“Sophomores are thirsty for career information, where juniors and seniors have probably explored more so they already know exactly who they want to go talk to during a career fair,” said Becker. “But the sophomores seem to be open to all different professions.”

Approximately 50 businesses and organizations took part, covering career pathways to arts and communication, business, management, marketing and technology, engineering, manufacturing and industrial technology, health and human services, natural resources and agriculture.

“Between the two, we’ve had 50 different vendors,” Becker said. “We had a handful that only did Gladstone and a handful that only did Escanaba.”

Students also learn networking experience by meeting with local professionals and speaking with them.

Escanaba sophomores Vince Doyen and Sean Austin Helgemo took full advantage of the career fair and spoke with as many professionals as they could before time ran out.

“I’m planning to go into animation or art,” said Doyen

Not all students know what career path they want to follow, so career fairs aid in their thinking.

“This is a great opportunity for students to get an insight, to choose classes that might point them in the right direction. It might help them to realize if I want to go into the military I still have to have good grades. So, talking to these people is more important than looking on line or talking to parents. They’re talking to people who are actually in the field. That’s real important,” Becker said.

Included in the career fair were schools and universities. For a student to get to a career of their choice, they need to take the appropriate classes on the path toward it.

“I’ve been really encouraged by the amount of younger students, like sophomore level, that have come by and already said, ‘I’m going to Bay for two years — then where can I go’,” said Bay College Director of Admissions Jessica LaMarch. “So I love there’s already that decision in their head. A lot of them have already asked me about Early Middle College, which is really important for them and so I discuss the reasons why that’s such a fantastic option, and the reasons they would not choose it … which are very few.”

DCCAN is a local branch of the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN). Its mission is to increase college readiness, participation, and completion in Michigan. MCAN’s goal is to raise the percentage of students who attend college by the year 2025. DCCAN provides programs to students of all ages, that will help them get into the work force by being career and/or college ready. Becker and her team involve elementary and junior high students by creating other ways to explore careers that are age appropriate. DCCAN provides bussing services for students visiting colleges, coordinating mock interviews, and job shadowing with specific businesses. Anyone interested in participating in any of the programs can contact DCCAN.

“We are always looking for other professions to be represented, especially the arts, journalism and communications,” said Becker.

According to Becker’s plan, the career fairs’ overall purpose is to provide high schoolers with information regarding careers, including where they could work, skill/training/education requirements, and job outlook.

Helgemo, like many sophomores, isn’t sure what he wants to study at this time. After talking with various professionals at the career fair, he now has varying ideas.

“I don’t really know what career I want to study yet … but I’m thinking about it,” said Helgemo.

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