Thousands of young students got a hands-on look into potential careers at the Career Navig8 Lake event held Wednesday at the Lake County Fairgrounds.
Organizers said the large-scale event helps build a pipeline from the school to local businesses and employers and introduces students to a variety of careers they may not have known about before.
Throughout the day, 4,200 middle and high school students toured exhibits and activities from more than 100 area businesses and employers, said Gina Schuyler, Grayslake Community High School Career and Community Partnerships Administrator.
Thousands of Lake County students attended the Navig8 Career Fair event held Wednesday. Organizers said the event exposes students to potential careers and builds connections with area businesses and employers. (Joe States/Lake County News Sun)
The event was divided into sections from manufacturing to agriculture and featured interactive activities that allowed students to experience the possibilities that come with different careers. This includes live welding presentations, goats, VR simulations, and more.
“We didn’t want this to be a paper-thin event,” Schuyler said.
The goal, she said, is to get students thinking about their passions and preparing them for a career as they begin choosing classes. Following last year’s trial run, this year marks the first year-round event.
“For some employers, this is a learning curve because kids don’t get excited just by seeing a piece of paper,” Schuyler says. “They want to know, ‘What can I do with this job?'” How can they physically experience that? ”
Kimberly Wimmer, human resources manager for Laser Precision and chair of the Lake County Workforce Development Committee, said the county is facing a workforce shortage. He said the next generation will be the foundation of future economic development and that businesses cannot be built or expanded without a workforce.
Wimmer said the event was about career exploration and also exposed students to careers they didn’t know existed.
“They don’t know what they don’t know,” she said.
One such occupation was farming. Jeff Miller of Liberty Prairie Farm had a small pen where he kept several goats. Students gathered to pet the animals and learn fun facts about goats.
Miller said the event allows students to tour the farm and share an opportunity to learn about agriculture, which many people have little experience with.
“What attracts people is the creativity involved,” Miller said. “There are a lot of factors that go into decision-making, but I enjoy being outside and working with animals.”
Grayslake Middle School Principal Marcus Smith said students responded positively to the event. He focused on the welding table and got a lot of reactions from the students.
“Welding was very interesting because I had the option to look at it because it’s a future interest,” Smith said. “They can really see all the different kinds of careers that are out there. There are a lot of job options.”
