Kelloggsville — Senior Caden Terrell had a plan when he walked into the gym for the high school’s career and trades fair.
“I’m between education and electrical engineering,” Caden said of his career aspirations. “I have always wanted to be a teacher, but right now I am at the (Kent Career) Tech Center in the automotive program and we are focusing on electrical work, which has really fascinated me.”
After a quick consultation with Assistant Principal John Linker, Caden made a beeline over to Swoboda Technologies, where he discussed apprenticeships and possible job opportunities with company representatives. Those opportunities interested him, he said, but it was with RoMan Manufacturing that Caden said he made the most connection.
“The fact that they have a location so close to my house — that was very interesting,” he said of the Wyoming-based power conversion company.
Giving Kelloggsville students exposure to the many different career opportunities out there was the main goal of the fair, which is the school’s first, said counselor Ashley Morse.
“We have really seen an uptick of students who are interested in attending the job site visits, so much so that we have had to put some on wait lists,” Morse said. “The career fair lets us bring the opportunities to them so they can see for themselves what’s available for them.”
Exposing Students to Options
The career fair was open to all high school students, with several teachers signing up to bring their classes to the event, Morse said. Each student received a punch card; those who collected eight punches by visiting the different stations could enter a drawing for prizes.
There were 27 stations representing a range of careers and post-grad options, including cosmetology, manufacturing, construction, various branches of the armed forces and several local colleges and universities.
“It is nice to have the colleges and other programs here for students to see that they do not have to go to school for four years to have a successful career,” Morse said.
One such option is Women In Skilled Trades, which representative Brenda Montgomery said has recently added a Grand Rapids chapter. The program offers a 16-week training for women interested in the skilled trades, who can then move on to an apprenticeship.
“Women don’t often consider going into these ‘less glamorous’ jobs and they don’t realize how much money they could make and the secure job they could have, so having that opportunity to plant that seed is important,” Montgomery said.
Making a Connection
Shawn Barber, a training and development specialist for RoMan Manufacturing, said engaging with students such as Caden is important during a time when many workers are moving into retirement and creating a workforce gap.
“You never know what type of interest you are going to have (at a career fair), but if you do find one or two students who make that connection, it makes every minute spent here worth it,” Barber said.
After visiting the RoMan table, Caden headed over to Dorsey College to explore the paramedic field. Caden said his father was a paramedic and he has had an interest in pursuing that field as well.
Caden said he appreciated having the career fair at the high school, which made it easier for students to participate.
“Having to take a whole day off to attend something off campus is not easy,” he said. “This way, you can just walk down to the gym and spend 30 minutes or so talking to different people. I mean, look around, there are far more people here than we could ever fit on a bus.”
Read more from Kelloggsville:
• Horses help students break through barriers, build conference
• New STEM space provides cutting-edge opportunities
