Its Job Fair Season!

In the months immediately before April and May graduations every year, colleges host targeted job fairs for programs.  This article covers two such events. The first was early in March at Lake Sumter State College (LSSC) where 12 companies gathered to meet with students enrolled in the LSSC Engineering Technology Protection and Control Technology Associate Degree.   This degree program prepares students to be Relay Technicians for public and private energy utilities and energy technicians for companies that support and supply the energy production and transmission industry.  The job fair attracted 33 students from both the first and second year of the program.  They saw this opportunity to find out about more about their career options in the field both for internships (the first year students) and jobs (the second year students).  Some parents also attended.  A lot of information was traded and learned, the attendees also took a tour of the awesome ET lab facilities at LSSC Sumterville’s campus, and a lot of fun was had by all.  Kudos go to Kairise Cornwell of LSSC’s Career Development Services for organizing this event and to Robert Seigiworth, Program Manager of the Protection and Controls Technology Program for recruiting attendees.  Some of the industry partners that attended include those in the table below. We look forward to hearing what this year’s program graduates choose for their future.

On Saturday, March 24, PMMI hosted a similar Job Fair with their Tampa Bay region partners at a centrally located hotel in the Bay area.  PMMI is an industry association whose members are primarily in the packaging industry.  That means that member companies make various packaging materials or machines like cardboard boxes, jars, wrappings, etc.  Core skill sets for technicians in this industry are mechatronics, so graduates of Florida’s A.S. Engineering Technology degree are great potential employees for them.   PMMI has many members in Florida including PharmaWorks, Mamata Enterprises, Inc, Performance Feeders and Polypack in the bay area.  Like LSSC’s fair, it was a great opportunity for local and regional students from technical colleges, state and community college to talk with industry representatives about their companies, what they make, how they make their products, and internship and careers opportunities.  PMMI will be back next month to represent regional companies at a Job Fair on the HCC Dale Mabry campus.

No matter who organizes a job fair, they are great places for students to practice “talking with industry” before a first interview for their first real job after graduation. They are also great places to learn more about the world of work.  Most job fairs like the 2 described here that were focused on specific industry sectors provide many opportunities for students to meet potential employers or summer internships.