On Thursday, Sept. 21, Lincoln Land Community College will host its second Workforce Careers and Ag Expos. Last year, some 500 high school students attended, interacting with over 50 local employers and engaging with the employers’ displays.
At this outdoor event held in LLCC’s parking lot, employers bring in large, high-tech machinery including combine and sprayer simulators and heavy diesel equipment as well as hands-on, interactive exhibits and demonstrations including how to finish concrete by the cement mason’s union.
This year, the event plans to be even bigger to impact more students and help them find a high- demand, high-wage career path in the trades that is right for them. Two sessions will be held: from 8-11 a.m. and noon-3 p.m.
Dan Smith, senior vice president at Roland Machinery Company, attended the event last year and is the premier sponsor this year. “I think any time you get an opportunity to engage with students to talk about their career options, you want to take full advantage of it,” said Smith. “Many of these students have not yet had a chance to talk with potential employers face-to-face, so I think the time spent at the Expo is very beneficial not only for the students, but for employers as well.”
Students will also be able to meet LLCC Workforce Institute instructors, tour the training labs on campus and learn more about the Workforce Institute’s training programs. Programs and employers highlighted will be in the areas of agriculture, automotive technology, industrial maintenance, construction, diesel technologies, welding, HVAC, electrical distribution lineman, commercial electrical maintenance, aviation mechanics and truck driver training.
Robert Ferriell from Capital Area Career Center (CACC), the career and technical high school for the Springfield area, leads the school’s efforts to help students learn about the vast amount of trades opportunities. “Skilled trades programs at CACC participate in the Workforce Expo each year. It is a great opportunity for students to explore options for more training at LLCC after high school while connecting with employers in the fields they are interested in,” noted Ferriell.
During this event, high school students also visit the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperative’s Line Worker Safety Rodeo, a statewide safety competition for professional line workers hosted at the LLCC training yard. The competition showcases the skills line workers use to perform their jobs safely, and competitions include the hurt man rescue, H-structure course and 40-foot head-to-head climbing challenge. Four LLCC line worker students with the highest scores in their climbing class are selected to compete alongside the professionals.
The Workforce Careers Expo also helps to build workplace-ready skills for our current LLCC Workforce Institute students. Not only are they instrumental in the set-up and breakdown of the event, they are also paired with a company from the industry for which they are training, acting as their event assistant for the day. Further, the students have been coached on how to network effectively with employers as well as prepare an elevator speech to help them pitch their skills to employers as they seek to gain internships or full-time employment after completing their training. They also act as program ambassadors, helping to give tours of their labs and talking to the high school students about their training experience at the Workforce Institute.
If you are an employer in these fields or an area high school wanting to participate in the Expo, visit www.llcc.edu/expo to sign up. Contact me with any questions at 217-786-4613 or nancy.sweet@llcc.edu.