High school students sound off on job fair

COLUMBIA BASIN - In effort to target high school students looking for work when they graduate, area employee recruiters spoke before several Moses Lake classes.

"Basically, we're trying to get ideas from the kids, since it's geared toward them, something that would grasp their attention and make them want to come, bring their parents and find out more about the jobs in our area," Moses Lake High School Career Center Outreach representative Brenda Beach explained.

Beach, Grant County Economic Development Council Manager of Communications and Research Jon Smith and WorkSource AmeriCorps volunteer Emily West led the presentation Thursday afternoon, asking students what would attract them and their counterparts to a career fair targeted at high school students and what they would call such an event.

The questions came in preparation for a job and career fair put on by the operations task force, a group designed to attract employees to area businesses. The job and career fair is scheduled to be Jan. 31, and marketed to area high school students and their parents to alert them to career opportunities within the Columbia Basin.

Beach said she's waiting for more suggestions and ideas from the students, which she will pass along to the task force at the next meeting, scheduled for Jan. 11.

Smith felt the presentations were productive, both to alert the students in advance of the career fair, and to watch their reaction and thoughts on the event.

"We're going to take (their ideas and suggestions) back and make sure we have the job fair set to meet those needs," he said. "We're going to take what they suggested very seriously and make sure we do that, because this is for them."

Among the suggestions was having employees under the age of 30 speak to students at the event.

"If it's somebody young, exciting and enthusiastic about it, (students may think) 'Oh, maybe that would be fun,'" suggested senior Kebra Swindoll.

"You get nervous around older people," senior Jess Cope agreed. "If it's somebody younger, then you can relate to them better. You're not as nervous when you ask questions which you think will be dumb if you ask them, but which you would really like to know."

West was happy to receive such feedback.

"I was thinking when I was their age, I did want people to relate to me, so I like the fact they (said that), because that's what you need, people to relate to you and let you know things on your level," West said. "It's easier to understand when it comes from people who have been in the same place as you."

Other items included opportunities for advancement within the company, information about benefits and opportunities within the company, but in different locations.

"The reality is, not everybody wants to live right next door to Mom and Dad in the same town," Smith said. "They want to know also, 'You're here, but what other opportunities with your company are available elsewhere, too?"

"If they show that it is easy to obtain these jobs, and it's not so difficult and so stressful if they give you steps and show you anyone can do it," senior Sarah Karnes said. "That would be helpful."

Junior Shelby Gonzales would be interested if she saw a variety of opportunities.

"I like a lot of sciences, but I like a lot of English stuff, too," she said. "If you see more variety and more companies you know, like if you've heard of them, they'd be like, 'Oh, I might want to go check that out.'"

"I think it's really good you guys are doing this because most people are like, 'Oh, Moses Lake, it's just a small town, there's nothing here, there's no jobs, just get out of town,'" senior Marsha Baerlocher told the presenters. "I think it's really good because there are a lot of businesses in town, and you get really good money."