Career fair highlights demand for skilled workforce
Brian Connearney (far left), Outreach Specialist for the New England Carpenters Training Fund located in Millbury, spoke with a group of Construction Technology sophomores about employment opportunities in carpentry and construction. Students seen here include (left to right) Paul Facey of Milford, Jake Platt of Millville, Jaden Martinez of Northbridge, Eric Harris of Douglas, and Allison Perry of Upton.
UPTON – Whoever coined the phrase, “Good help is hard to find,” never attended a career fair at Blackstone Valley Tech.
Held on March 5, the annual BVT career fair packed the school’s competition center with hundreds of current students and nearly 30 regional employers who hope to one day hire them. That day might come soon for students like Matt Thompson, a Drafting and Engineering Technology junior from Northbridge. As a student in good academic standing entering his junior year’s third trimester, Matt is now eligible for the Valley Tech cooperative education (co-op) program, which allows upperclassmen to acquire career vocational technical credits and skills by working off-campus in their area of training every other week. Touring the career fair and speaking with potential co-op employers, Matt said he believes taking on the challenge of the co-op program can pay big dividends for BVT students.
“It starts us off for the future,” Matt said. “If we stay in that [co-op] job, or get another job, we’ll definitely get promoted earlier because we started working in high school.”
Joining Matt at the career fair was his friend and fellow Drafting and Engineering Technology junior Connor Belland of Mendon. In meeting with potential employers, Connor said he was proud to see such high demand for his skills, despite the fact that he’s barely old enough to get his Junior Operator License.
“It’s like we already went to college and have a degree,” Connor said. “But we’re still in high school.”
As Matt and Connor explored possibilities for their co-op employment, they received a firsthand account of the program’s impact from 2004 BVT graduate Kenny Giacomuzzi, who attended the career fair on behalf of medical device manufacturer Tegra Medical. As the Tool Crib Manager for Tegra Medical, Giacomuzzi said the company’s future depends on its ability to hire employees with both sophisticated technical skills and the soft skills necessary to master new technology over the course of their careers.
“The biggest thing you can come into our facility with is a willingness to learn,” he told a group of Valley Tech students.
For Old New England Restoration President William Hardiman, the BVT career fair was an opportunity to let Construction Technology students know about a rewarding career pathway that sometimes goes overlooked by seasoned professionals.
“I’m hoping to educate students on the fact that restoration is an important part of what we do,” Hardiman said. “It can be hard to find good carpenters who are interested in old houses and construction methods.”
At his informational table for the Pawsteps Veterinary Center of Northbridge, Dr. Sean D. Sawyer, V.M.D., encouraged Dental Assisting and Health Services students to consider their training’s potential application in the veterinary field. Valley Tech is currently crafting plans to establish a new program in Veterinary Assisting, which Dr. Sawyer confirmed would prepare students for in-demand jobs.
“We need assistants and technicians,” Dr. Sawyer said of the veterinary field. “We’re desperate for educated support staff right now. A program here would be very helpful.”
Dressed in a shirt and tie for the event, Construction Technology sophomore Jake Platt of Millville said that the career fair gave him a much better idea of the numerous opportunities he could pursue on his career pathway. No matter where he ends up working or what his job title might be, Jake said he’s confident he can secure employment that will satisfy his requirements.
“I want a job I enjoy and I want to make decent money. I want to work for a company that I will be proud to join,” Jake said. “Those are my dreams for when I graduate and secure a job.”
UPTON DAILY 