Apr. 28—BEMIDJI — Last spring, the
Bemidji Career Academies Career Fair made its long-awaited return
as the first career fair since the coronavirus pandemic put it on pause, time and time again.
In partnership with the Boy Scouts of America and Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce,
Bemidji Career Academies
observed another first on Thursday as it hosted its inaugural hiring fair for Bemidji High School juniors and seniors.
With around 30 employers in attendance, roughly 600 students had a chance to not only learn about career areas and consider what their futures may hold after graduation but also apply for jobs and take part in on-the-spot interviews.
The key difference between the career fairs and the hiring fair was the idea of exploring future careers at a career fair versus filling positions in real-time at the hiring fair.
"In the fall, (career fairs are) more focused on exploratory booths and interactive exhibits with the goal of looking at an industry and different kinds of jobs that exist so students can get a little exposure," BCA Coordinator Jenny Fraley said on Thursday. "Today, our focus is on filling positions in businesses in our local community."
Career fairs are also more geared toward ninth through 12th-grade students while Thursday's event focused more so on juniors and seniors.
BHS Principal Jason Stanoch spoke to the timing of the hiring fair as many businesses prepare to hire summer interns, seasonal workers and certain full-time positions.
"Many seasonal construction jobs or seasonal positions with the DNR...those types of positions that are open wouldn't really be seen in the fall," Stanoch said. "Being five weeks out from the end of the school year, this timing is perfect for people to be able to get hired and start a new job."
Vendors in attendance had a chance to recruit students filtering in and out of the BHS gymnasium throughout the morning. Organizations ranged widely from Sanford Health and Knife River Materials to Paul Bunyan Communications and the U.S. Marine Corps.
Bemidji Parks and Recreation
Director Marcia Larson referenced the difficulty with recruiting employees for open positions and considered the hiring fair as a chance to "put a face" to the department, which has openings in park maintenance, day camp counseling and internships.
"This is a great opportunity for us to connect and let students know what opportunities we have and what we do," Larson said. "We want to make them feel a bit more comfortable and let them know that this is a great choice for them. Sometimes, it can be intimidating to apply for a job online and hope that someone responds, so for us to connect with students is just fabulous."