LIMA — Elliott Courtney went into MakerFest 2016 with an idea of the career path he wants to pursue after graduating from Delphos St. John’s High School. He walked out with the knowledge that his job opportunities are even greater than he thought, and that they’re all right here in the Lima region.
“I’m planning to go to the University of Northwestern Ohio for HVAC, so I talked to the local steel workers and they said they had jobs in that area, which I never even thought about,” Courtney said. “It just shows you that there are jobs everywhere.”
Courtney was one of 1,300 students from 27 area high schools who attended this year’s MakerFest, a career expo that featured competitions, employer and college exhibits, mock interview sessions and more. The high school senior attended last year’s inaugural event and was impressed with how the event expanded.
“Last year was more like classes and speeches, but this year it’s more hands-on,” he said. “I think it’s better this year.”
The changes MakerFest underwent within the last year were no accident. Event organizers made a concerted effort to expand the career expo in nearly every way, from the number of high schools and employers participating to the overall size and scope of the event.
Last year’s MakerFest was dedicated solely to manufacturing and skilled trades. This year, event organizers expanded to the health care and service industries. In all, 75 companies participated in MakerFest 2016. That’s up from 50 companies that participated in last year’s event.
Each company had its own booth, with representatives explaining the various career options within their field and the pathways to get there. Some companies also performed demonstrations, providing students with more hands-on opportunities.
Clarissa Plassman and Aubree Schroeder, each of whom are ninth-graders at Leipsic High School, said the employer demonstrations were their favorite part of the event. But aside from the demonstrations, the high-schoolers said they gained a greater understanding of the opportunities available to them after high school.
“I didn’t realize how many different opportunities and experiences were out there,” Plassman said. “It opens up my mind a little bit to what I could do after I graduate.”
Schroeder added that, in speaking with representatives from OhioMeansJobs, she discovered there are people willing to help her find the right career.
“They showed us that you don’t have to be scared about finding a job because people are there to help you,” Schroeder said.
Along with connecting employers with the future workforce, MakerFest also allowed students to hone their interview skills. Called “extreme interview makeovers,” students received tips from human resources executives on how to dress for an interview, as well as various other recommendations. The interview makeovers were followed by a mock interview lab, where students could put the skills they learned into practice.
“We’re basically trying to create the experience of a job interview for kids who might never have experienced that,” said Catheryn Sarno, of Lima Pallet Co.
Jasmine Petaway, a senior at Perry High School, said the experience was beneficial.
“I realized I need to work on my fidgety hands and saying ‘um’ all the time,” Petaway said. “It helped me prepare so I know what I’m going into.”
For Eyon Berney, a senior at Lima Senior High School, the most beneficial aspect of MakerFest was the one-on-one conversations with local employers. As a welding student, Berney already knows where his career is headed. But what he didn’t know before the event were the exact qualifications local companies are looking for.
“I talked to Diamond (Manufacturing) and Trinity Highway Products, so I learned a lot,” Berney said. “They showed me what I needed to do to get there, and what would be expected of me.”
The student-employer connection was what impressed Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Jed Metzger the most.
“I asked these kids if this helped in their career decision, and most of them said ‘absolutely,’” Metzger said. “They said they never realized how many companies there were and what they needed to do to work for that company.
“That was the outcome we really wanted to achieve, and I feel strongly we did that.”
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