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The University of North Georgia (Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û) partnered with the to host its third annual Career Path Fair on the Gainesville Campus on March 17. The event provided seventh-graders with an overview of career opportunities in the Gainesville-Hall County area as representatives from local companies covered more than a dozen career paths.

"Middle grades are such formative years, where students tend to start to make lifelong decisions, form lifelong opinions, friends, likes, and dislikes," Dr. Richard Oates, interim vice president of Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û's Gainesville Campus, said. "It's an emotional phenomenon and if we can provide them opportunities by planting the seed, we can cultivate it in high school. Eventually, they can say, 'Yes, I can do this and this is what I want to become.'"

Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û welcomed South Hall Middle School, Cherokee Bluff Middle School, Davis Middle School, West Hall Middle School, and World Language Academy for the Career Path Fair. Lanier Technical College hosted a companion event a week earlier with students from the other Hall middle schools and Gainesville Middle School.

"Our goal was to inform students of careers that they can build right here at home," Nikki Chandler, vice president of existing industry at the Greater Hall Chamber, said. "The Career Path Fair gave seventh-graders an opportunity for a 'light bulb' moment to connect to the career that will inspire them. In addition, each student had the opportunity to be on a real college campus at Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û. The whole day was one of learning and experiences."

Middle grades are such formative years, where students tend to start to make lifelong decisions, form lifelong opinions, friends, likes, and dislikes.

Dr. Richard Oates

interim vice president of Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û's Gainesville Campus

"The kids come in not knowing what to expect from me. The question from them is usually, 'Are we going to get some bread?' But I usually use their excitement to introduce them to manufacturing and the opportunities available," Spicer said. "Their minds are pretty open once I explain to them about the career options."

Some businesses have even found the event so impactful they've been participating since its inception in 2018. Cochran Brothers Electric brought out several stations for students to explore different aspects of the company's day-to-day activities from Variable Frequency Drives (VFD drives) to panels and meters.

"By giving them stations that they can participate in and see a little of what we do, our hope is that this gets them engaged and thinking this might be something I want to get into," Cochran Brothers Electric employee Kari Kelley said. "It's fulfilling to think this is the next generation that will soon be doing our jobs."

Attendance at the event was limited after taking a two-year COVID-19-related hiatus. Oates said that he aspires to return to having more than 500 students participate in the coming years.