MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Martinsville City Schools is helping middle school students learn more about what they want to be when they grow up by hosting a career fair called CTE Discovery Career Quest. It will be held at 10 a.m. Oct. 8 at the Big Chair parking lot in Uptown Martinsville.
CTE teacher Greg Hackenberg said the career fair is aimed specifically at eighth grade students and is an opportunity to see what people are doing in their own backyards.
“This is a local business that we’ve worked with. There are a lot of local entrepreneurs, and the great thing about this is you get to see real people who have started their own businesses in their own communities and are successful. ” Hackenberg said.
Eighth grade student Bridget Brent said she was looking forward to learning this.
“I’m most excited about how you start a business, like basically how to start a business,” Brent said.
Brent said he doesn’t know what he wants to be when he grows up, but he hopes the career fair will help.
“I think for a while I was going to be an astronaut. But I think I need to be a little more realistic than that, because while that might be Plan A, Plan A might not work out. ‘And I think this is a good thing for that,’ Brent said.
Approximately 20 different businesses will participate in the CTE Discovery Career Quest. Some businesses are from the Martinsville Police Department, beauty stores and even the local public school system.
10 News reports there will also be a scavenger hunt for kids to participate in.
Virginia Career Works will also be participating in the career fair later today. It helps Virginians find jobs. She said the event will be great because it will help kids realize there are jobs they can do in their backyards.
“Many careers continue to be created every day, and businesses that can lead to viable lifestyles and incomes continue to enter. So we have a lot of people who don’t want to leave this community and who want to give back.” There are people who want to live here, and they can do that by working and living here,” said Sheneka Hairston of Virginia Career Works.
Hackenberg said the fair can also act as a pipeline to children.
“They can take entrepreneurship classes in high school. We offer great internships in high schools through our CTE program, and I’ve had former students who have already participated and just gained that experience.” Some are in college or maybe even in the workforce,” Hackenberg said.
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