KHS Career Fair to draw Henry Co. area students, college and labor reps
Henry County students may have a clearer vision of their futures after a career fair hosted by Kewanee High School Nov. 16.
Representatives from around 50 colleges and 30 employers are expected to attend, as well as trade union and military recruiters, giving students information on a variety of post-high school job and training opportunities.
"Most high school kids don't know what they're going to do and that's normal," said KHS counselor Jamie Willis, who has spearheaded the event.
He said the idea behind the career fair is to present students with as many choices as possible and to get them thinking about how best to use their education; and figure out which training is necessary to get them to their goals.
"We're trying to get kids to decide on something and to explore a few things," he said. "When it comes to career exploration, we want them to be accountable."
It's the second try at such a large event, as the COVID period knocked out the idea's initial rollout.Local employers like Great Dane and manufacturers outside the region, such as Caterpillar, will have represenatives on hand to answer student questions. Likewise, several major universities will be represented.
Willis said getting those colleges and employers to rural Kewanee is not an easy task and it's usually the case that a student has to go visit them to obtain more information. But having them all in one place for the fair, brings the career knowledge directly to the students. Up to 15 other area schools that include Cambridge, Galva, Wethersfield and Annawan are planning to send students to the KHS fair.
"All the big colleges have reps in Chicago schools, but they are just playing a numbers game and we're just too small for that," he said. "But they'll come down for this."
Willis said the effort is part of schools' renewed effort to provide a strong workforce for the country and pointing students toward a marketable career path. That effort goes well beyond just pointing kids toward college and considers all career possibilities that match up with ability and passion.
He predicts that wholistic approach will expand even more in the coming years as the school tries to match up its curriculum with community needs.
"Now it's kind of everything -- helping the students socially, emotialannly, their academic behavior and career path," he said. "It's more about building relationships."
The job landscape also is changing, with manufacturing and supply chain jobs are more abundant than ever, and the traditional trades seeking out talent like it hasn't for some time. The job market now is more globally impacted as well as the students will be asked to compete with countries like China.
"You can't just walk into some of these jobs off the street, but I think there's going to be plenty of opportunities," he said.
This article originally appeared on Star Courier: KHS Career Fair to draw Henry Co. area students, college and labor reps
