Thousands of young students got a hands-on look into potential careers during the Career Navig8 Lake event on Wednesday at the Lake County Fairgrounds.
Organizers said the sizable event will help build a pipeline from schools to area businesses and employers, and introduce students to a variety of careers they might not have known existed.
Throughout the day, 4,200 middle and high school students explored displays and activities from more than 100 area businesses and employers, according to Gina Schuyler, administrator for careers and community partnerships with Grayslake Community High School.
The event was broken into sections, ranging from manufacturing to agriculture, with interactive activities for students to get a taste of what different careers could entail. That included a live welding presentation, goats, VR simulations and more.
“We didn’t want this to be a pass-a-piece-of-paper-type of event,” Schuyler said.
The goal, she said, was to get students thinking about their passions and preparing for their careers as they begin choosing classes. This was the event’s first full year, after a pilot run last year.
“It’s a learning curve for some employers, because kids don’t get excited by a piece of paper,” Schuyler said. “They want to know, ‘What can I do in that job? How can I physically experience it?’”
Kimberly Wimer, human resources manager with Laser Precision and chair of the Lake County Workforce Development Board, said the county is facing a deficit of employees. The next generation will be the base of future economic development, she said, and businesses can’t build or expand without a workforce.
The event was also about career exploration, and showing students careers to which they may not have been exposed, Wimer said.
“They don’t know what they don’t know,” she said.
One such career was farming. Jeff Miller, with Liberty Prairie Farm, had a small pen with several goats. Students were crowded around, petting the animals and learning some fun facts about goats.
Miller said the event let them share opportunities for students to come and see the farm and learn about farming, something with which many don’t have much experience.
“What draws people is the creativity involved,” Miller said. “There’s a lot of different factors that come into decisions, and it’s fun to work outside and with animals.”
Grayslake Middle School Principal Marcus Smith said students reacted positively to the event. He noted the welding table, which got a response from many students.
“The welding was very interesting, having that option to see that, because it’s an interest for the future,” Smith said. “They are really able to see all the types of careers that are out there. There’s so many job options.”
