Job Fair connects approximately 800 students with 20 different employers

The Job Fair provided students a chance to talk with local businesses

As students in the Commercial Art program at the Center for Career Services, Jemima Hernandez and Onome Egvivwie began Wednesday’s Job Fair with a certain understanding of how their skills might apply in the business world. However, a few conversations with potential employers introduced them to new possibilities they had never considered.

“I realized that I have been narrowing my options,” said Egvivwie, a junior from Eastchester. “This Job Fair really helped broaden my horizons and made me realize there is more out there.”

 That may be true in art — both Hernandez and Egvivwie said they were surprised to learn the Metropolitan Transit Authority hired artists, for example — but students from other programs enjoy similar epiphanies during the annual event, which was held at the CCS campus in Valhalla.

Approximately 800 students attended the Job Fair, which welcomed 20 different employers. The business representatives covered several fields that included law enforcement, unions workers, and New York State offices.

“This allows us to see which careers might interest them and kind of shop around,” said John Manginelli, a senior in the Construction/Plumbing program. “I am interested in joining a plumbers’ union. I was able to exchange info with them and it helps just to be able to ask any questions you might have. For someone who hadn’t done a lot of research, that’s important. I think a lot of people probably don’t even know how to get started.”

The Job Fair is designed to connect local businesses with motivated students who are either seeking employment now or upon graduation in June or seeking summer employment.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for businesses to promote their company and the career opportunities they offer to a diverse pool of candidates,” said Tracy Reeves, a Work-Based Learning Coordinator for Southern Westchester BOCES. “The companies and the students were able to engage with one another face-to-face, discuss skills and experience, and that allows them to assess whether or not they are a potential fit.”