Career Expo Seeks To Thwart County Brain Drain
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
By ninth grade, however, they changed their minds, according to Darryl Smith, current chairman of the committee.
Out of that study was born the Chamber's Career Expo for all of Kosciusko County's middle school students. Wednesday's Career Expo was the seventh annual event.[[In-content Ad]]"The reason for doing it is for the middle school students to get an idea of the type of jobs available in Kosciusko County," said Joy McCarthy-Sessing, Chamber president. She later also said, "It's a way to try to reverse our brain drain. It shows we have some interesting and profitable careers here."
Trina Hoy, Chamber director of communications and events, said 35 different careers were on display Wednesday. The event started at 8:30 a.m. and went until 2:30 p.m., with county middle schools coming through at various times of the day.
"I think it's so great we have businesses and government entities that are willing to come and spend their time and show what their jobs are to students," said McCarthy-Sessing.
"This event has been growing and growing," Smith told the business representatives before the arrival of students. He told them the Career Expo was geared toward the middle school students to show them how to prepare for a career in this community.
The group of businesses at the Expo, Smith later said, represented about every type of career available in Kosciusko County. To plan the Expo, the Expo committee started out with a state list of hot careers. They then tried to get a representative of those needed in Kosciusko County at the Expo.
Some of the jobs have on-the-job training. Other jobs require two- or four-year degrees. With other careers, students start at one job but can get into apprenticeship training.
Bill Lawrence and John Desomer, both of Pill Box Pharmacy, showed students the type of home medical equipment respiratory therapists use. It was their first year for participating in the Expo.
"Basically," said Lawrence, "there's a need for respiratory therapists in our county."
Wednesday also was the first year for Dave Addison, Extension Services with Purdue University.
"In the agriculture field," Addison said, "there's a lot of different opportunities (for careers). There's good numbers, the pay is excellent in the ag field. There's anything and everything you can imagine."
Ken Strong is a flight paramedic with Parkview Samaritan. In his second year with the Career Expo, he said students always want to know what kind of training does it take to be a flight paramedic, and what is the worst thing he has seen in his career. He also tells them about the training involved in joining the EMS and the steps into flight positions.
A career in photography combines art, math and communications, according to Clarissa "Cyd" DuBois of Sunrise Photography.
"For those interested in art, I tell them (photography) is an art form. Like a sport, you have to work at it to get better," DuBois said.
Wednesday was DuBois' third year of participating in the Career Expo.
"It's a lot of fun," she said. The students who are really interested are the students she said she wants to engage with more.
Most of the students found at least one career they were interested in.
Riley Reinholt, a Lakeview Middle School eighth-grader, said, "I'm interested in legal and municipal services. I just think it would be fun."
After checking out the law enforcement booth, he said it seemed pretty cool. "You get to pick up the stuff they have."
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By ninth grade, however, they changed their minds, according to Darryl Smith, current chairman of the committee.
Out of that study was born the Chamber's Career Expo for all of Kosciusko County's middle school students. Wednesday's Career Expo was the seventh annual event.[[In-content Ad]]"The reason for doing it is for the middle school students to get an idea of the type of jobs available in Kosciusko County," said Joy McCarthy-Sessing, Chamber president. She later also said, "It's a way to try to reverse our brain drain. It shows we have some interesting and profitable careers here."
Trina Hoy, Chamber director of communications and events, said 35 different careers were on display Wednesday. The event started at 8:30 a.m. and went until 2:30 p.m., with county middle schools coming through at various times of the day.
"I think it's so great we have businesses and government entities that are willing to come and spend their time and show what their jobs are to students," said McCarthy-Sessing.
"This event has been growing and growing," Smith told the business representatives before the arrival of students. He told them the Career Expo was geared toward the middle school students to show them how to prepare for a career in this community.
The group of businesses at the Expo, Smith later said, represented about every type of career available in Kosciusko County. To plan the Expo, the Expo committee started out with a state list of hot careers. They then tried to get a representative of those needed in Kosciusko County at the Expo.
Some of the jobs have on-the-job training. Other jobs require two- or four-year degrees. With other careers, students start at one job but can get into apprenticeship training.
Bill Lawrence and John Desomer, both of Pill Box Pharmacy, showed students the type of home medical equipment respiratory therapists use. It was their first year for participating in the Expo.
"Basically," said Lawrence, "there's a need for respiratory therapists in our county."
Wednesday also was the first year for Dave Addison, Extension Services with Purdue University.
"In the agriculture field," Addison said, "there's a lot of different opportunities (for careers). There's good numbers, the pay is excellent in the ag field. There's anything and everything you can imagine."
Ken Strong is a flight paramedic with Parkview Samaritan. In his second year with the Career Expo, he said students always want to know what kind of training does it take to be a flight paramedic, and what is the worst thing he has seen in his career. He also tells them about the training involved in joining the EMS and the steps into flight positions.
A career in photography combines art, math and communications, according to Clarissa "Cyd" DuBois of Sunrise Photography.
"For those interested in art, I tell them (photography) is an art form. Like a sport, you have to work at it to get better," DuBois said.
Wednesday was DuBois' third year of participating in the Career Expo.
"It's a lot of fun," she said. The students who are really interested are the students she said she wants to engage with more.
Most of the students found at least one career they were interested in.
Riley Reinholt, a Lakeview Middle School eighth-grader, said, "I'm interested in legal and municipal services. I just think it would be fun."
After checking out the law enforcement booth, he said it seemed pretty cool. "You get to pick up the stuff they have."
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