Students from Durango, Silverton, Ignacio and Bayfield schools came together Tuesday to explore possible future careers at the Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative Futures Fair.
The job fair, which took place at the La Plata County Fairgrounds, drew more than 600 students from the region’s districts, according to Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative Executive Director Patrick Fredricks.
“Our goal for students is to help them see careers that are possibilities in this region,” Fredricks said. “If they never see these careers, if they never see these higher education opportunities, they don’t know what’s available to them. So, the theme of this event is all around exploration. We’re not asking any students to make major life decisions with us at this event. It’s simply to know the options that are available to them.”
The Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative, a nonprofit that works to create pathways to meaningful careers and a strong workforce in rural Colorado, hosted the event with support from sponsors Pueblo Community College Southwest, Clearnetworx, SOCO Solar, FCI Constructors Inc., Manna and Project Weaselskin.
Middle and high school students were able to speak with experts from a wealth of regional businesses, nonprofits and higher education institutions who tabled at the event.
Miller Middle School eighth grader Elizabeth Beal said the Future Fair helped her recognize how many possible career paths are available. “I’ve always been interested in fashion, and also health, and I think surgery is a good career path,” she said. “But the future fair has really made me think about what I want to do. It’s helpful to know there are other options out there.”
Kenna Schneider, an eighth grader at Bayfield Middle School, said the fair helped confirm her desire to become a teacher.
“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher – since, like second grade,” she said. “It was helpful, talking to a teacher and seeing what that’s like.”
Other students had less concrete ideas of what paths they may want to go down – and appreciated that the fair offered a wide range of potential options.
Carson Marquez, a junior at Durango High School, said he thinks he could end up in a career in finance – but stopped at the Durango Police Department booth to learn more about what a job in law enforcement might entail.
Laura Tomcek, a training specialist at the Historic Preservation Training Center with Mesa Verde, said she wished she had a resource like the Future Fair when she was a student.
“When I was in middle school, I had no idea what kind of jobs I could be gainfully employed to do,” she said. “Just that exposure is critical. I’m happy to be here to support it.”
Some businesses – like Bar D Chuckwagon – presented themselves at their booths specifically as “spring board” jobs, offering positions that can provide students with initial workforce experience on a path to a longer-term career.
“I see us as a great starting point for a younger generation, not only to keep alive things like cowboy music and the Chuckwagon, which is kind of a dying breed, but to give them basic job skills to do something a little more serious as they get older,” said a Bar D Chuckwagon representative manning the booth.
Several industry experts said a common question from students was whether a college degree is needed for a given career.
“When I was younger, it was like, ‘You got to get a college degree.’ That was mandatory,” Rank said. “Now they’re asking, ‘Do I have to?’ And I find that really interesting.”
Fort Lewis College Admissions Counselor Maddie Adams, at the FLC booth, said many students are starting to opt for trade school rather than a four-year degree as a steppingstone toward a future career.
“From my background knowledge, a lot of kids opt for trade schools, especially in the Four Corners region, because college is expensive,” she said. “Fort Lewis is really working on staying affordable.”
Fredricks hopes events like the Future Fair inspire students to dream big and see the potential for fulfilling careers locally.
“Looking at Colorado, a lot of times, we have our young students looking to get out of here as quickly as possible, and so they may not see that we have a lot of advancement opportunities right here in their backyard,” he said. “I want them to dream big, but also (know that it’s) not a bad thing to stay here in the area and make a difference.”
epond@durangoherald.com
Guiding the next generation’s workforce
The Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative welcomes collaborations from businesses, nonprofits or organizations that want to provide opportunities for shadowing or internships to students, said Executive Director Patrick Fredricks.
For more information on the Collaborative, visit www.swcoedcollaborative.org
To contact the Southwest Education Collaborative, call 426-5762 or email info@swcoedcollaborative.org
