Lakes High School Students Explore Future Job Opportunities at Manufacturing-Health Sciences Career Expo

Students had the opporutnity to meet with 10 participating employers to gain insight on career tracks within the manufacutring and health sciences industries, both growing fields in Lake County where there will be strong demand for future talent.

"The expo was an amazing opportunity for students to learn beyond the classroom," said Michelle Bank, who is a Transition Specialist for District 117 schools.

"It was inspiring to see students engaged in future possiblities" added Lakes High School Counselor Nicole Repa.

The expo is one of many career fairs geared towards local youth in Lake County made possible through a grant provided by the JPMorgan Chase Foundation. The grant was awarded to Lake County Partners to continue development of its Workforce Ecosystem initiative, a program designed to bring together private and public stakeholders to ensure local businesses have the talent pipeline they need to succeed.

Benjamin Romano, an operator at Termax Corporation, knows first-hand how Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, combined with career expos can help students drive their careers after high school. Benjamin has been working at Termax since he graduated from high school four years ago. "CTE programs allow kids to try their hand at various jobs so they know what they're good at and where their passion lies. I found my passion there and now I have a career path working for a great company."

Romano believes career expos like the one held at Lakes help CTE programs find a wider audience and expose a broader set of students to career paths outside traditional four-year college. "Many high school students are not aware of the exciting and growing career options in manufacturing that this expo showcases. Students leave with a better understanding of the jobs that will be available and an understanding of the courses they can take to land a job down the road."

Manufacturing plays a vital role in Lake County's economy, with more than seven hundred medical instrument and precision manufacturing and tooling companies operating within its boundaries, and the industry employs nearly 18,000 people. Manufacturing sector jobs in Lake County are up 15% since 2010 and forecasted to grow an additional four percent by 2020. The health care industry employs nearly 27,000 workers in Lake County - a number that is expected to grow 6.4% by 2020.

Lorraine Harris from the Lake County Health Department wants young people to come away from the career expos with a broader view of healthcare careers available to them. "There is a disconnect with younger people today on the various careers available in industry," said Harris. "You see healthcare and you think of having to work in a hospital or doctor's office setting. At the Health Department we run the spectrum of careers in the medical field, from health inspectors, health education (such as tobacco cessation) specialists and medical coding" With such a wide-range of positions across the county, the career potential is vast. "We look for nursing, psychology, education and health sciences students. at the Lakes High School Career Expo and others like it help us get the word out that there are so many different careers available no matter where you get your start."

Lake County businesses participating in the career expo included Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science - HPEC and College of Pharmacy, Termax Corporation, Hollister Inc., Zebra Technologies, Sysmex, Job Center of Lake County, Illinois Manufacutring Excellence Center, Lake County Health Department, German American Chamber of Commerce, and OMRON.

Lake County Partners and the Lake County Workforce Department have plans for additional career fairs in the Spring of 2018 when they will collaborate with other local schools, including the Lake County High Schools Technology Campus, to expose students to future career paths, internships and jobs that are in-demand in the local economy.