From June 9th through June 11th, BOCES of Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties, in conjunction with WPBS-TV, will host a Virtual Career Fair for area high school and middle school students from 10am to 4pm. The career fair is a collaborative initiative driven by the steering committee that supports GPS for Success, a long-standing North Country career planning tool operated by WPBS-TV.
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on North Country students and their families have been significant. School buildings had to close quickly in March. Educators acted fast, pivoting to remote delivery of curriculum content. Many students were disadvantaged by the lack of access to high-speed internet. In addition, high school seniors are not able to celebrate traditional events like graduation or prom in-person with friends and family.
Another priority that has been hindered for students is exploring future career paths. And while there are excellent online resources that can help (like mygpsforsuccess.com), students who normally receive support from guidance counselors, teachers, or career fair events, need to have other options. The Virtual Career Fair is the ideal alternative during this time.
WPBS-TV, Jefferson-Lewis BOCES, St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES, The Workplace, the Watertown Chamber of Commerce, Afgritech, Jefferson County Economic Development, and other organizations have partnered in an initiative that allows students to explore options in “career clusters,” with industry experts who will provide an overview of career opportunities in each cluster and answer any questions the students may have. Clusters are listed below.
The Virtual Career Fair takes place on Tuesday, June 9th, Wednesday, June 10th and Thursday, June 11th from 10am to 4 pm. Students can pre-register at https://mygpsforsuccess.com/vcf2020/
Career Clusters and Participating Organizations include:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Science
St. Lawrence Cornell Cooperative Extension
Jefferson Cornell Cooperative Extension
Beller Farms
Cazenovia Equipment
Architecture & Construction
Purcell Construction
BCA Architects & Engineers
IBEW Local Union
Carpenters Local Union
BOCES Architecture, Engineering, & 3D Design
Arts, AV, & Communication
Clayton Opera House
WPBS-TV
Sight & Sound Theatres (Pennsylvania)
Otis Technology
Business Management & Administration
NNY Bizguy
Lowe’s
Education
Clarkson University
Jefferson Cornell Cooperative Extension
Lowville Academy
Finance
Bowers & Company CPAs
Government & Public Administration
DEC
Department of Social Services
Customs & Border Protection
Health Science
Jefferson County Public Health Service
Watertown Audiology & Fyzical Therapy
Samaritan Hospital
Hospitality & Tourism
Bella’s in Clayton
Human Services
The Arc
Northern Regional Center for Independent Living
Victims Assistance Center
Volunteer Transportation Center
Jefferson Cornell Cooperative Extension
Jefferson Community College
United Helpers
Credo Community Center for the Treatment of Addictions
Children’s Home of Jefferson County
Information Technology
Westelcom
Keyes Security
Law, Public Safety, & Corrections
DEC
Watertown Police Department
Manufacturing
HP Hood
Marketing
Otis Technology
Coughlin
STEM
SUNY ESF
GPS for Success is funded by the Northern New York Community Foundation
About WPBS
WPBS is a PBS station serving approximately 650,000 households throughout Northern New York and Eastern Ontario via cable, satellite, Internet and over-the-air distribution. WPBS is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate, entertain and inform its audience through superior local and national content and media engagement, in order to enhance the lives of those it serves. More information about WPBS, including a full channel listing, is available at wpbstv.org, or by following WPBS on Twitter and Facebook.
Contact:
Joleene DesRosiers
315-753-2134 (VM or text)
jdesrosiers@wpbstv.org
About Jefferson-Lewis BOCES
Jefferson-Lewis BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services) offers cost-effective shared services to 18 component school districts located in Jefferson, Lewis, Hamilton, Herkimer, and Oneida Counties. These services to districts include career and technical education course offerings as well as special education, instructional and administrative support services. BOCES also serves the continuing education needs of local business, labor and industries in the community and offers a wide range of continuing education opportunities for adult learners. Learn more at www.boces.com.
Contact:
Nathan Lehman
Communications/Information Coordinator
Jefferson-Lewis BOCES
(315) 779-7025
nlehman@boces.com
