County-wide career fair planned for Sept. 22 | News, Sports, Jobs - Martins Ferry Times Leader

Sep 17, 2022
STEUBENVILLE — Area high school students are invited to take part in the County-wide Career Fair on Sept. 22.
About 1,000 students from Jefferson, Harrison and Columbiana counties are expected to attend the event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fort Steuben Mall in Steubenville. Hosted by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce’s Workforce Training and Education Committee, the fair will include an estimated 85 businesses, trade organizations, colleges and universities and military recruiters in the commercial building.
Chamber President Kate Sedgmer said the purpose is to provide students with options as they forge paths for successful futures.
“The chamber of commerce has a Workforce Training and Education Committee and we talk about ways to get our kids to stay local,” Sedgmer explained. “We want to introduce them to career fields that are available here, and the goal is to get kids to stay here after high school or go to college and return home.”
The committee, which is headed by Jefferson County Educational Service Center Superintendent Dr. Chuck Kokiko, includes 12 members representing school districts and businesses who helped organize the career fair while the districts will transport their pupils. Students have been invited from Buckeye Local, Catholic Central, Edison, Harrison Central, Indian Creek, Jefferson County Board of Developmental Disabilities’ School of Bright Promise, Jefferson County Christian School, Jefferson County Joint Vocational School, Steubenville, Toronto and Southern Local. Times will be staggered for their arrivals and Sedgmer said vendors will have intriguing displays to promote their fields.
“We will have around 90 vendors including educational institutions, businesses, trade organizations and all five military branches and they will give students hands-on experience to see if their field is something the kids are interested in,” she continued. “This is the first time for the career fair and we needed a place that is large enough for all of the students and vendors as well as for semi-trucks and simulation projects.”
The venue was initially set for the county fairgrounds in Friendship Park at Smithfield but was changed to the mall property.
“We are really thankful that the mall could accommodate us on short notice, but we hope to partner with the fairgrounds for future events,” Sedgmer noted.
Sedgmer thanked the committee for their hard work and said the group was also responsible for an event last February at Eastern Gateway Community College that featured business leaders, trade union officials and military representatives informing guidance counselors and career advisors on opportunities in the workforce. She hoped the career fair would become an annual activity and also thanked sponsors, which include the chamber, JCESC, Village of Wintersville, Trinity Health System, Timet Corp., Steubenville Electrical, EGCC, Summers Enterprise, Notre Dame College and the Capital Healthcare Network.
“I’m really excited to see all of the businesses gathering to help students. They have elaborate plans for the students to share what’s here in the county.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Kokiko hoped to see a great turnout for this new and exciting venture.
“There are nearly 100 vendors between the colleges, businesses and trade organizations,” he said. “We are looking forward to having as many as 1,000 students involved.”
There is always room for more vendors and anyone interested may contact the chamber at 740-282-6226 or go online at www.jeffersoncountychamber.com/careerfair.
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