BY KARISSA MILLER
Around 80 businesses, organizations and service providers were on hand to assist and recruit student job-seekers on Wednesday during the Iredell-Statesville Schools Career Fair.
The event was sponsored by the I-SS Career Technical Education Department along with community partner Iredell Ready.
The event took place at the Statesville Civic Center and was open to all public, private, virtual and homeschooled seniors in the county. Around 500 students attended the event.
“This is an important event because we are showcasing our apprenticeship partners and students have opportunities to set up employment right after high school or for college students who want to work in the summer,” said Todd Williams, I-SS director of industry, trade and business development.
A diverse pool of employers, ranging from healthcare agencies to land surveying and advanced manufacturing to finance, were represented.
“Hats off to all of the students and administrators who came prepared,” Williams said. “We’ve had really good student participation. Kids are dressed nice and have had their resumes in hand.”
Statesville Police Department Officer Ben Hardy, who was helping recruit future police officers, also had praise for the participants.
“It’s the most engaged we’ve seen students,” he said. “We explained the hiring process and the two-year degree. Everybody enjoyed learning that they could get paid while going to school.”
Lake Norman High School senior McKenna Cossar came with her resume in hand Wednesday morning.
“This gets us exposed to work life and lets us see what occupations are out there,” Cossar explained. “I submitted my resume with Iredell Health, but I’m not old enough to work there just yet.”
Her friend Kate McCarty, 17, also submitted her resume with Iredell Health System. McCarty said she enjoyed speaking with them and other local businesses.
“Everyone is friendly and very welcoming. I learned that there are a lot of options and versatility in the area,” McCarty said.
Iredell Health Nurse Recruiter Judy Sheets said that the nonprofit is a rewarding place to work.
“We inspire well-being and look to connect others to be involved in the community,” Sheets said.
Denso Manufacturing, which manufactures small motors for the automotive industry, has a facility based in Statesville. Manager Edward Brandt was among those who attended the event.
“We’ve had a lot of good interactions with the kids. We talked about college and where we have an engineering program,” Brandt explained.
Tim Johnson Landscaping Chairman Tim Johnson said his company has been a regular at the annual career fairs.
“This is something we’ve done to partner with the school system. We have three apprentices that work in our nursery,” he said.
Johnson said what sets them apart from other landscaping and lawn care businesses is that they offer good healthcare, retirement and vacation days.
Bell Construction Company owner Dwayne Bell said they have been in the community for more than 70 years and have several entry-level positions, such as pipe layer and concrete finisher as well as a way for people to “learn and work their way into a job.”
“We don’t go out of town. It’s Monday through Friday, and we have a strong benefits package,” Bell said.
Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County representatives were also on hand to tell students about the opportunities they have available for students 18-years-old and up, including Certified Nursing Assistants and Registered Nurse positions.
“A lot of students know about hospice or came to us with certain questions to learn more about what we do,” Nicole Weiss, administrative office coordinator and recruiter, said.
The event was also opened to the public to build relationships and network.
Each student participant had a “passport” that is a participation requirement. They asked employers to stamp their passports for proof of visiting and talking with them. Students who complete their passport were entered into a drawing to win a free pair of Apple iPods, courtesy of the Iredell County Economic Development Corporation.
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