Amanda Bishop
NCR Editor & Publisher
Hilliard Middle-Senior High School students explored career opportunities April 17.
Students were given information about apprenticeships in carpentry, plumbing, heating and cooling, and more, as well as information on military careers.
“It is so important to prepare out future students so they can become productive community leaders,” said Hilda Loyd, volunteer career coach.
Representatives from 17 organizations visited with students, including Tropic Aire of North Florida.
“We want to invest in young people who are interested in the trades,” said Jimmy Jones, construction and installation manager. “The world doesn’t move without the trades.”
Elite Plumbing Contractors President Scott Motter knows the value of learning a trade. His son, Bradley Motter, went through a plumbing apprenticeship with the Northeast Florida Builders Association before they opened the business.
“We want to get people fresh out of high school and get them trained up the way we need them to be,” secretary Chelsea Fouraker said.
Ashley McKelvy, senior staffing manager with Randstad USA, spoke with students about her ability to connect them with a variety of businesses. Randstad assesses people’s skills and interests and line them up with clients seeking employees through the recruitment and staffing agency.
“I try to see what they’re looking for and place them in the right spot,” McKelvy said.
HMSHS junior Taylor Clair wants to go to college to study zoology. She wished someone from the zoo had attended the career fair, but learned about a variety of trades during the event.
“A lot of the stuff is interesting,” she said.
Fellow junior Kenneth Mathis wants to study radiology. He thought the career fair was a great way to show students an alternative to the four-year college option.