McHenry County College is holding its second annual Career Exploration Expo this Wed., March 19 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The exhibition is located in the MCC Gym/Multi-purpose Room and Commons and is open to middle school students through sophomores, along with their families.
The exhibit will be presenting all the differents kinds of career possibilities available in the area and information about what they do. The goal is to help younger students get an idea of what they want to do if they plan on going to college, and get excited about working in the county, according to Kellie Carper, manager of New-Student Transitions.
There will also be companies demonstrating some of the jobs that are offered within those organizations. Some of these organizations offered in the area include manufacturing, health care, social assistance, and finance.
MCC’s main goal, however, is to get kids excited about getting a career in the future. There are a lot of careers out there that require a lot of training, which is something that the courses at MCC will be able to provide.
“We’re hopeful that [their career] includes college,” said Carper. “Most of what we’re showcasing are programs that we offer here, but even some students might think beyond what we offer.”
The companies will be partnering with MCC’s academic department to show the students the education, what you do in the industry, and what kind of jobs are available in that industry. They will have booths set up for students and their families to explore the different fields and career areas.
“We’re going to be showcasing,” said Carper. “Not only the programs of study that we offer here that are occupational in nature but also, some of the industries in the county.”
Since it is an open house exhibit, students and their families are able to come any time within the two hour time period and visit any of the demonstrations that interest them. They can also go to what’s called a “College Readiness Zone.”
“Students can go on to a website and do some career cruising,” said Carper. “They can do a little bit of exploring there and do some hand-on activities.”
According to Carper, the healthcare and engineering fields have been very popular among students in previous years. The digital media field has also been growing, with courses specializing in videogame design and production, app development, animation, and graphic art.
“We also have a brand new robotics program,” said Carper. “It is a fast-growing employment area because a lot of manufacturers are using robotic technology in their facilities.”
According to Carper, there is a lot more excitement this year than there was last year. Although they had a lot of participation from the county, there were not as many attendees as they would have hoped, but there is a lot more excitement and participation from the community this year.