Career Valley 2008 drew around 1,100 students Thursday to the Eau
Claire County Exposition Center.
The event, which is in its eighth year, featured 62 exhibitors.
Students in grades eight through 12 attended the expo, which offered
the opportunity to learn more about a variety of vocations.
Exhibitors included businesses, organizations and educational
institutions.
"It provides a broad spectrum of hands-on activities for the
kids," said Matt Pronschinske of Workforce Resource, who chaired a
committee that helped put on the event. "It's also really good for
the tech schools and universities to show what they have
available."
Interactive exhibits included a booth where students could plunge
syringes into oranges to get a feel for the procedure, and another
that allowed them to weld metal rockets and flowers.
"It's great because a lot of kids have never seen a welder
before," said Jon Will, an instructor in the field for Chippewa
Valley Technical College. "They get a chance to put on the mask, put
on the gloves and really make something."
The event offered information and exhibits in 16 career clusters,
a group that included agriculture, finance, marketing and
hospitality and tourism. Manufacturing was as well-represented as
any industry.
"It's essential that we get out and let kids know there are
options," said Dan Wilkinson, a welding instructor at Wisconsin
Indianhead Technical College in New Richmond. "Right now, they can
make more in welding than many people can coming out of four-year
institutions."
Woodville-based OEM Fabricators partnered with instructors and
students on the welding activities. The business has taken part in
the event for five years.
"We're a huge proponent of the event because it promotes
different careers in manufacturing," said Scott Exner, a
manufacturing engineer for OEM. "We get to show these kids that
there are thousands of job opportunities available in the
manufacturing
sector."
