YATESVILLE — The school year is nearing its end and high school students are still exploring options for life after graduation.
Pittston Area High School helped plant some ideas in students’ heads ,thanks to a Career Exploration Day Friday at the high school.
Lisa Joyce, Business and Information Technology teacher at Pittston Area who organized the event, said it wasn’t a job fair or a college fair in which students were there to be recruited, but a way for businesses and schools to share information.
The idea began back in the fall.
“We started in October,” Joyce said. “We got the idea to talking with our principal, Dr. (John) Haas, myself and parents who were concerned at school board meetings about kids coming out of high school and not having a career path. We got the idea of how could we make it where it’s not a job fair, it’s not a college fair, but just give kids an exposure to various careers and career clusters.”
Over 50 vendors were on hand such as Joyce Insurance Group, Pennsylvania CareerLink Luzerne County, which co-hosted the event; Mericle Commercial Real Estate, King’s College, Misericordia University and many others.
Members of the military such as the Air Force and US Army/Army Reserves were also on hand, as was the PA State Police.
The event was a joint effort by the high school, Pennsylvania CareerLink Luzerne County, Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board, and the Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce.
T.C. Mazar, of North Branch Tree and Landscape LLC of Falls, said students approached him about what his company does and how they can be involved with landscaping and tree planting.
He said it made him happy that students were expressing interest in, not only his business, but others at the event.
“Some of the kids seem really interested in what I do and it’s very satisfying to see that and see the next generation of the workforce getting ready to enter the field of their choice,” Mazar said.
Christine Jensen, administrator for Pennsylvania CareerLink Luzerne County, said some students might have entered the event without knowing where to go or who to talk to about a career.
She said students took an interest assessment to point them in the right direction.
“They were doing it to get an idea of what might be a good industry or career for them,” Jensen said. “We have information about those kinds of careers and what companies might have those kinds of jobs.”
For senior student John Brady, 17, the interest assessment was more helpful than he anticipated.
“It asked all types of questions from if you’re artistic, if you like being outdoors to if you like working with people,” he said. “All that kind of stuff.”
Brady said he will get into electricion work after high school while his friend and fellow senior Jordan Powers, 17, will attend Temple University to pursue a teaching career.
Although the two seniors have their futures planned, the Career Exploration Day provided them with options.
“I think the military has always been in the back of my mind,” Brady said.
“I could work for UPS,” said Powers. “It’s always a good one if you don’t know what you’re doing after school.”
As the day went on, Joyce received compliments from the students, teacher and vendors about how well the event was going.
This was the first Career Exploration Day, but Joyce said future events will be bigger and better,
“I think we’re going to outgrow our gym,” she said.
