EDPA Northeast Chapter Makes an Impact at Career Fair for the Trades
On Tuesday, March 7, members of the EDPA Northeast Chapter packed up their cars with banner stands, table drapes and promo materials and headed to Media, Pennsylvania for a career fair at the Williamson College of the Trades.
The accredited junior college is home to approximately 280 students who are required to live on campus and conduct themselves under the virtues of the school: with Faith, Integrity, Diligence, Excellence and Service. (Students attend on full scholarships that cover tuition, room, board and textbooks.) With academic programs for trades including carpentry, electrical, landscape construction and management, machine tool technology, masonry and power plant technology, students graduate in just three years with an Associate in Specialized Technology degree.
For Ashley Balassone, Director of National Accounts at CSI Worldwide and EDPA Northeast Chapter President, Kayla Gott, Senior Account Executive at Agam and Northeast Chapter Secretary, and Ben Solberg, Production & Detailing Specialist at Hill & Partners and Northeast Chapter member; the experience was just as rewarding for themselves as it was for the students they met.
The event, identified by EDPA’s Future Workforce Committee for its opportunity to engage with future professionals of the industry, was well-attended by the College’s students who came prepared with printed resumes and a thirst for learning what they could do with their impending specialty degrees.
“The students were pretty overwhelmed by the amount of opportunity and job offerings within the events industry,” reported Ashley. “None of them were familiar with the industry; their only experience being career fairs and ‘tabletop’ type events.”
“Seeing their excitement in sharing not just one job type but an entire industry of interrelated and intertwined roles for companies across the country was telling of the promise of the future of this industry,” added Ben.
“The three of us together were a perfect instance to illustrate the impact of a career in this industry,” said Kayla. “My company being a custom manufacturer of framing systems, Ashley’s specializing in labor management and Ben’s creating exhibits and event experiences, we were able to share how our roles differed and how they related in putting on an event.”
There was a true moment of connection between young professionals all around as the students and EDPA members jived over the new machinery that the school had received that the students were eager to try out.
And it wasn’t just talk about entry-level shop positions or summer internships currently available in the trades. With so much of their own careers still ahead of them, Ben, Ashley and Kayla spoke to experiences of older members of the industry having turned a trade skill like carpentry, electrical or machining into a career path that led to upper management positions in sales, operations and business administration.
In total, these three EDPA “Future Leader” delegates collected 21 resumes from students interested in job and internship opportunities, and who seemed more than willing to relocate for a job to get in the door of the events industry. The majority were pursuing degrees in carpentry, machinery and masonry, with a handful in electrical.
With industry education, support and advocacy as main pillars of the EDPA mission, and the Future Workforce and Future Leaders committees empowering EDPA members to get involved in shaping the future of the industry, the Northeast Chapter took this career fair as an opportunity to rise to the occasion.
This will certainly not be the EDPA Northeast Chapter’s last opportunity to get in front of students, and we’re always looking for ways to engage the industry’s future professionals. Check back regularly on our list of events for an upcoming career fair near you, or if you know one you’d like to attend on behalf of the EDPA Northeast Chapter, let us know by emailing info@edpanortheast.com.
If you want to learn more about Future Workforce and Future Leaders, including how you can get more involved with on behalf of your EDPA Chapter, click here: https://www.edpa.com/future.