McMinnville High School hosted its first onsite job fair for students to connect with local employers for summer jobs or for their first job out of school.
Students had a chance for one-on-one conversations with company representatives with some ending with appointments for a second interview.
The fair was hosted by the MHS College and Career Center and presented by the McMinnville Economic Development Partnership (MEDP).
“This about connecting students with local businesses early on to help students work on a career path and to help businesses grow their own work force,” said Jody Christensen, MEDP executive director. “Entry level jobs are a place to learn critical skills like teamwork, customer service and work expectations.”
Some of the businesses see summer jobs as a training ground for future employees, according to Logan Malloy from Express Employment. “We have engineering firms looking to hire your engineering students during the summer,” he said. “They might start at an entry level for the first summer and after a couple of years of college engineering, they might hire them to do a higher level job like drafting. All with the hope that they could offer them a full time job after college.”
About 40 students scheduled appointments and interviewed with representatives from Betty Lou’s Inc., a local organic snack manufacturer; Express Employment Professionals, a Yamhill County staffing company; Hurst Berry Farms (HBF), a fresh market berry sales and packing company; Rock of Ages, an organization serving retired elders; Willamette Valley Medical Center, McMinnville’s acute care/full-service hospital.
Additionally, representatives from Chemeketa Community College and WorkSource Oregon were on hand to advise students on school registration, financial aid and resources for job training and job hunting.