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Expo offers career exploration

The thirteenth annual Health Tech & Trades Career Expo is coming up December 3 and I am excited for a great event allowing students to explore a wide variety of careers. Area ninth grades will get a chance to experience a job in a hands-on manner and hopefully learn about jobs that they didn’t know existed.

The Health Tech & Trades Career Expo was originally developed to promote the variety of careers that only require a two-year technical degrees or less. While still the main focus, we are trying to offer students a chance to explore careers they may have never known existed. Fulfilling, successful careers are available in every industry at any level of education.

This year we are expecting over 2,700 students from more than 30 area schools. The planning committee is working on ways to expand student engagement and interest. Last year students were able to walk through an inflatable colon, operate a 100-ton crane, practice CPR, participate in a fire department obstacle course, make electricity, weld, and operate big machinery. The 2015 Expo looks to be just as interactive and fun.

A wide variety of companies such as Essentia Health, Industrial Builders, Fargo Jet Center, Lynnes Welding and Butler Machinery attend in order to promote career opportunities. Every year, the almost 90 companies represented plan interactive activities for students to experience just a small part of what they do each day.

I know every year I am excited to see what exhibitors do next. You can tell the students enjoy the event and the new experiences. I know I would have loved to experience something like this when I was in school asking myself what I wanted to do when I grew up!

Jenny Erickson
Health Tech & Trade Career Expo
Committee Secretary