The Paulding County Economic Development office hosted a Career Day Showcase event this past week. The event, held at the Paulding County Fairgrounds, was the first in the county in three years. Businesses, colleges, not-for profit groups, and government offices displayed and highlighted their businesses to the junior and senior classes from all three Paulding County schools.
The event ran from 8am-12noon with students arriving at the top of each hour. The Vantage Career Center students from Antwerp, Paulding and Wayne Trace schools were invited to attend the first hour. Each school then brought their students on the hour for forty-five minutes. CHEP-C homeschool students and the public were invited to attend at any time.
Students were provided a “passport”. The passports suggested a variety of questions to ask presenting businesses to help create conversation. Each student was invited to talk to a minimum of five businesses and have the business sign their passport. Completed passports were entered into a drawing for two $25 gift gas cards per school. The cards were sponsored by National Oil & Gas, Inc. They provide fuel to Marathon gas stations all over the county.
Paulding County Economic Development Director Tim Copsey noted, “The event far exceeded what we hoped to create and achieve today. The excitement of the businesses and colleges to get in front of the students again was a great positive, but to see the interaction of the students in front of the presenters today, for the first time in years, was worth all of the time and effort put into this event.” Copsey continued, “The county Business Advisory Council meetings have provided interaction between the PCED office, county businesses, and school officials and certainly helped facilitate this event coming back. With our office going in and meeting with students a couple times this year, to help prepare them for this event, it seemed to make the students more comfortable with us. The bridges that were built today between students and business leaders was truly impressive to watch.”
This was the first event that the fairly new economic development office staff was able to host since taking their PCED positions. They noted their thankful appreciation for the help of Vicky Steele who has helped prepare this event for the PCED office in the past.
