BUCKHANNON – Fred Eberle Technical Center students had the opportunity to meet area businesses at the school’s annual job fair on Friday.

Fred Eberle career coach Rachel Smarr said the fair is a good opportunity for juniors and seniors to connect with potential employers.

“This gives them the opportunity to meet businesses within the area — not just in our county, but in surrounding areas — where they can obtain employment after they graduate,” Smarr said.

Juniors participate so they can chart a course for their final year in school.

“We also let our juniors see this, so that way it kind of plants the seed of what do you want to do your senior year and after graduation?” Smarr said. “It’s giving them the opportunity to set up an action plan — what do I want to do? Or maybe they already know what they want to do, and they get the opportunity to talk to people to figure out how to make it happen.”

Smarr said this year’s job fair was the biggest one yet, with 28 businesses in attendance to talk to students.

“I’m really excited that we’ve had that much interest in our students, because that shows that the community and the surrounding areas are coming together,” Smarr said.

The fairs are usually very successful and a high percentage of Fred Eberle students find a job in their field after graduation, according to Smarr.

“At the beginning of the [school] year, I start calling students who graduated from the year before and I ask them, where are you working and things like that,” Smarr said. “This is what we do to show how successful our students are after graduation. We have a very high percentage of students who find some type of job in their content area, and that is our main goal, that our students are working.”

Smarr feels the job fair is such a success because of the quality of the Fred Eberle students and the community wanting to work together.

“I think there’s a desire, not just from the students, but just from the community in general, to work together, to make our community better,” Smarr said.

The next event happening at Fred Eberle Technical Center is the car show and motorcycle ride the school will host June 8, according to Smarr. She said the event will start at 10 a.m. for the bike ride and the car show will follow at 10:30 a.m. All the proceeds go toward sending Skills USA competitors to the national competition. 

“It’d be great if people could come out and support our school,” Smarr said. “If the community comes out and support the kids, it’s a fun day.”

The event will also feature food, music and prizes.