Ford staff will interact with students during MakerFest on Friday.
Cade Higgins Lima News
LIMA — It’s never too early to prepare for the future.
Twenty-two schools will have more than 1,500 students participating in MakerFest on Thursday and Friday. The event aimed to introduce students to potential career paths and help them make informed career choices.
The event, held at the Allen County Fairgrounds, attracted businesses and businesses from surrounding counties. Students had the opportunity to interact with employers, participate in mini-workshops, and participate in practical activities.
Originally aimed at high school seniors, it is now open to freshmen and sophomores to help them explore potential career paths.
“I’ve been to a lot of interesting booths, some of which I thought I’d never go to. It’s interesting to learn new and different things,” said Ada High School sophomore. Brooklyn Andreasen said.
Andreasen explained that the students took a survey and career test to find out which booth they would be best suited for.
“I’m considering physical therapy,” she said.
Dave Stratton, president and CEO of the Greater Lima Region, praised the event and the collaboration needed to make it happen. The event saw the participation of 54 businesses and 77 activities, demonstrating increased cooperation between counties. The event was attended by 21 healthcare companies, 20 skilled trade companies, 18 business and logistics companies, 9 manufacturing companies, and 9 public works and safety companies.
“Now it’s a regional event. We want it to be an event that involves eight counties, not just Allen County,” Stratton said.
For Stratton, it is also important to retain young people for future employment in the region, so he noted that there could be younger students in the future.
“At some point, we will also consider the junior high school level,” he said. “Who knows what the future holds? There’s good stuff here.”
Tim Fitzpartrick, dean of Northwestern Ohio University’s College of Business, Health Professions and Professions, led staff and volunteers to make the event possible. He hopes the event continues to grow.
“There will be even more activities this year. The more the merrier. We hope to grow this event even more next year,” he said.
Ada High School Principal Dan Lee praised the efforts to make the event more hands-on and the engagement with students and vendors.
“If I’m going to go to that booth, the quality of the interaction will be much better,” he said. “Hands-on is more powerful than a brochure.”
Since career exploration can be difficult for children, Lee was not opposed to involving younger children in future events.
“You really have to make time, and I think middle school is the best time to think about that,” he said.
Please contact Cade Higgins at 567-242-0351.
