By EMMA QUASNY
In collaboration with the Westfield Chamber of Commerce, Westfield High School (WHS) will play host to a job fair on Tuesday, April 19 to give students the opportunity to apply for part-time jobs. A variety of companies in the Westfield community will be offered to students as a way to introduce them to the workforce while providing career skills.
This is the second year the chamber and the high school have partnered to give students this opportunity. WHS Assistant Principal Matt Putman said that due to the great turnout and feedback the job fair received last year, they decided to host another one.
Putman
“We had about 20 businesses that showed up last year and we decided and with the turnout of students it was a win-win or successful in all areas,” Putman said. “It’s an opportunity to really plug our students in to different possible job opportunities but we believe these job opportunities provide career skills and life lessons on what it takes to be successful as an employee no matter what.”
Students will have the opportunity to learn more about Westfield companies, complete applications, set up interviews or even be interviewed on-site.
Putman said the job fair aims to provide students with the resources whether they are actively looking for a part-time job or just interested in learning more about companies in Westfield.
“I think it’s very convenient being able to have multiple businesses in one place at one time where they can kind of just go from one business to the next business and learn about different opportunities that they might have for employment and so forth,” Putman said. “It’s really an opportunity for them to explore and see what’s available and what’s in the Westfield community.”
The job fair is a key way students can begin to start having conversations from a hiring perspective, and the job fair is a way they can continue building important career skills.
“[The job fair] allows them to get to learn more about businesses in the community and the interviewing skills that they would take away are worth a lot [to] help them build that confidence for their future,” Putman said.
Westfield companies in hospitality, fast food, and the general service industry are some of what will be offered to students on Tuesday. Putman said the chamber and school have been looking into the future to continue providing this opportunity to students.