Written by Karyn Powers
It’s not a Career Fair.
And it’s not a Soft Skills Development Fair.
Over 500 students (ages 14–18 years) will have the opportunity to meet with more than 30 local business representatives for the 3rd annual Student Hiring Fair on Thursday, March 15, 2018, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Boys and Girls Club of the Wausau Area (1710 N. 2nd St., Wausau).
Teens will meet with prospective employers and have the opportunity to:
- Learn about positions or youth apprenticeships available
- Get an immediate interview
- Possibly receive an offer of employment
….and all before they get back on their bus!
This is where the rubber meets the road for economic stability for our community’s youth.
According to the most recent LIFE Report, the number of families living in poverty in Marathon County rose from 4.3% to 9.5% between 2000 and 2016.
Obtaining a job can be extremely beneficial by teaching young people responsibility, time management, money management, and other life skills needed after they graduate high school. In fact:
“For every young person, a job offering decent work is an important step in completing the transition to adulthood, a milestone towards independence and self-reliance. For children and young people living in poverty and in other disadvantaged situations, employment is often the main means for attaining a better life, though such employment is often informal with poor or exploitative working conditions. For more fortunate youth, prospective employment influences their choice of education and training, and increasingly, their decisions regarding marriage, kinship and cohabitation.” (United Nations, Commission for Social Development, 2007)
The Student Hiring Fair was created by the United Way of Marathon County’s Partnership for Youth in cooperation with career counselors from East and West High Schools, the Northcentral Technical College Apprenticeship program, and the Forward Service Corporation (a division of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development).
Businesses who are interested having an employment table at this year’s fair should follow this link for details. Registration deadline for employers is March 5, 2018.
Students interested in attending should contact their school’s career counselor to register for the free event.
Sources
LIFE in Marathon County (11th ed.). (2017–2019). Wausau, WI. http://www.unitedwaymc.org/improve-lives/community-data/
United Nations, Commission for Social Development. (February 7-16, 2007). Report on the forty-fifth session. Item 3 (c) of the provisional agenda. [Follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development and the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly: Emerging Issues.] http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/documents/csocd45emergingissues.pdfStudent_Hiring_Fair_Invitation
Karyn Powers
Recreation Superintendent | Wausau / Marathon County Parks, Recreation, & Forestry Department
Karyn Powers joined the Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Department in 1991. Prior to settling in Marathon County, she spent 5 years working for the Department of Defense in Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Services for the U.S. Navy in Iceland and the U.S. Army in South Korea. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Park and Recreation Administration and a master’s degree in Education. In addition to being the city/county Recreation Superintendent, she is a published poet and author. Karyn fell in love with Marathon County as a college senior when she interned here in 1979, then traveled halfway around the world to get back here as soon as was possible. Email Karyn Powers.
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