CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Employers looking to hire skilled workers will get a look at what some of West Virginia’s career and technical college students can do firsthand during a statewide series of “reverse job fairs” that begins Tuesday.
Instead of employers setting up booths, Career Technical Education Simulated Workplace students will have industry-specific program booths on display during the fairs to showcase their technical skills, portfolios and other employment attributes.
“We have a phenomenal emerging workforce in West Virginia and I’m hoping that this will make connections that we have not had before,” said Kathy D’Antoni, West Virginia Department of Education assistant superintendent for technical and adult education.
“These are talented young people and I think, if we can get them to stay in West Virginia, it will not only help them, but it will help our state.”
This year marks the first for the “reverse job fairs” at school sites.
On Tuesday, the initial job fair will be held at Fayette Institute of Technology in Oak Hill.
Future dates are as follows:
April 25 – JDR Career Center, New Cumberland
April 26 – Mid-Ohio Valley Technical Institute, St. Marys
April 30 – Spring Valley Career and Technical Education Center, Huntington
May 1 – Carver Career Center, Charleston
May 3 – Monongalia County Technical Education Center, Morgantown
May 7 – Randolph Technical Center, Elkins
May 8 – James Rumsey Technical Institute, Martinsburg.
“Hopefully, the employers will be able to talk with future or potential employees about what jobs are available and, maybe, we can make some connections,” said D’Antoni.
Registration information was available HERE.
Employers were being encouraged to register, but registration was not required.
Staging the reverse jobs fairs were those with the West Virginia Development Office’s Apprenticeship In Motion program, funded with a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, which promotes registered apprenticeships in West Virginia.
Targeted areas included health care, manufacturing, high-tech, information technology, cyber security, logistics, tourism and hospitality.