South Bend Students Dive Into Future Careers at Expo in 4-H Fairgrounds

SOUTH BEND ― The St. Joseph County 4-H Fairgrounds gave the second annual GEAR UP IGNITE Career Expo the feel of a festival.

In a way it was, as about 1,200 eighth and ninth graders from the South Bend Community School Corp. took turns on April 24 visiting dozens of vendors showing off career choices and programs meant to get the students thinking about the future.

The kids were bussed to the Expo from their schools, each getting about 1½ hours to get some ideas and make some contacts that could help them decide possible career choices.

At the start of high school, students can start defining their interests so they can choose what classes to take and even which high school in the corporation might align most closely with their interests.

But the expo also shows students the reason for high school, meaning a future career or pursuit of higher education.

Children require a rationale for attending school," stated Chad Addie, the assistant superintendent for college and workforce readiness. "Having objectives in place makes them more involved.

There were numerous choices available for them to consider due to the robust representation from various trade sectors, as many have experienced the strain caused by an insufficient workforce. considerable amount of work at the Amazon Web Services campus and the GM/Samsung battery plant being built between South Bend and New Carlisle .

The Homebuilders Association of St. Joseph Valley caught the eyes of Adams High School freshmen Kyra Franklin, Temima Capers and Payton Thompson, but the students all seemed to have their minds set on careers in law or health care fields.

Having a goal is a good thing, according to Addie, since some students go through high school with no idea of a future path.

Even still, students showed a lot of interest in homebuilding, said Alek Evens, who was working at the booth for Big C Lumber "I believe the word has spread that there are numerous career opportunities in home construction and skilled trades," he stated.

Certainly, this held true for the booths run by the Bricklayers and Laborers’ unions, where they could impress students with visuals of significant projects they have undertaken, alongside information about their paid apprenticeship programs and the earning prospects within the construction industry.

Joe Mayer, field representative for the International Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 4 , said the South Bend area is down about 45 bricklayers, meaning construction companies must bring in bricklayers from outside the area to get work completed.

Two first-year apprentices ― Everardo Cabrera and Ethan Freedline ― were on hand to help students practice laying bricks while also showing them that in only four years they too could be learning the same trade.

“Not too long ago, guidance counselors only talked about college as the main option for most students,” Mayer said. “But that’s been changing over the past few years. The word is getting out that you can have a very good career in the trades.

First-year apprentices, for example, make about $40.18 per hour in wages and benefits and end up getting an associate’s degree in applied science as part of the program, he said.

Murray Miller, business manager for Laborer’s International Local 645 , had a similar pitch for the students, pointing out the high wages, the paid apprentice program and the high volume of work in the region.

Highway projects, buildings, factories, windmills and solar farms are just some of the projects that the union has been involved in throughout the region, Miller said, adding that women are also more than welcome in the trades.

The South Bend police also drew a lot of attention, as well as the line workers from Indiana Michigan Power , among others.

Though eighth graders at Dickinson Academy, Sharlee McCormick and Jimena Pureco spent time at the Ivy Tech Community College booth learning about the nursing programs since they’re both interested in health-related careers.

Having a career interest is helpful for a student’s success.

“I think a lot of people don’t know what to do because they spend too much time involved in day-to-day activities and socializing,” Sharlee said. “They don’t take the time to think about the future.”

Addie hopes all students possessed such an attitude.

“He stated, ‘Each student possesses their own set of skills and capabilities.’ It is our responsibility to assist them in uncovering and nurturing these aptitudes.”

The article initially appeared on South Bend Tribune: Students from South Bend schools investigate future professions at career fair held at 4-H Fairgrounds.