Aspire Johnson County will be hosting Career Discovery Meetings for high school juniors and seniors in Johnson County and southern Marion County during the 2024-25 school year.
The initiative aims to connect students with business and industry leaders who can provide insights into various career paths and opportunities.
“These meetings are a great opportunity for students to learn about careers in their own backyard,” said Amanda Rubadue, Vice President of Economic Development at Aspire. “Career or internship opportunities they can either jump into right out of high school or when they come back after college.”
The meetings will last 30 minutes and will take place in small groups of five students. Aspire’s goal is to host several of these small groups in a day, requiring presenters to commit to a full or half day, if available.
This effort aligns with Indiana schools’ new requirement from HEA 1002 to provide career exposure opportunities to students, as well as Goal Five of Aspire’s Economic Development Strategic Plan which includes building up the workforce by partnering with local educators and employers.
“As a designated intermediary, Aspire is creating openings for employers to speak to small groups of juniors and seniors to talk about their careers,” said Jennifer Hollingshead, School to Work Specialist at Aspire.
“We hope to have a large variety of employers that want to meet with students to discuss options after high school or plant the seed about their company for students to return to after getting a certification or degree,” said Hollingshead.
Aspire will host a training session for potential presenters on June 21 at 10 a.m. via Zoom. Those interested in participating can email Jennifer Hollingshead at [email protected] to receive a link to the training.
