Online job fair to offer Michigan students career tips during COVID-19 pandemic
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Starting Monday, July 13, 2020, Job Shadow Week was expected to go virtual to reach as many students as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic, including students in West Michigan.
Leilani Brown, organizer of the nationwide event and K12 senior vice president of strategic partnerships, said due to the pandemic, many Michigan students had internships cancelled or jobs put on hold, not knowing what to do next. She said her team wanted to help students get back on track and prepare them for a career in a post-pandemic workplace.
“I think that this gives them the ability to understand what they like and what they don’t," Brown said. "Probe a little bit further and make more informed choices about what happens in the future along with their families, whether its college, career or some combination of the two.”
Job Shadow Week is a free, fully virtual event giving students age 13 and up a chance to explore career opportunities.
Brown said students would have the chance to connect with employers like Google, Nokia, NASA and the Miami Dolphins.
She said going virtual allowed her team to reach more students, exposing them to opportunities they might not have known existed.
“It gives rural students the chance to seek out STEM and technology opportunities and for those in the city, like in New York City, to be exposed to farming in Montana," Brown said. "Really cutting across boundaries and time zones to provide increased access and exposure to our students, that’s pretty exciting.”
Brown said the event would feature 21 sessions including job demonstrations, workspace tours and workshops on financial literacy, interview prep and corporate social responsibility.
More than 2,500 students across all 50 states had signed up as of Sunday, July 12. Brown said there was still time to register.
Student opportunities during COVID-19:
- Kalamazoo sorority hosts virtual event to empower local youth
- Kalamazoo school leaders: Students will have options for virtual and in-person learning
- West Michigan high school students get a chance at prom despite COVID-19 cancellations
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