Lake George Central School, Warren County and businesses from around the region came together Wednesday, March 24 to make sure that the local workforce is ready for the busy summer season.
It’s a program that other school districts in Warren County will be able to use to match students with employers.
On the morning of March 24, students at Lake George Jr-Sr High School participated in a job fair in their gymnasium to learn about the many summer employment opportunities available in the region as the tourism season approaches. 30 or so local employers were present at distanced tables to engage with students as they entered in small groups and enjoyed the opportunity to ask questions, apply for jobs, and gather information about open positions.
Collaborating and planning the logistics in the weeks leading up to the job fair was a significant task, as several different groups worked together to support the effort.
- The Lake George Chamber of Commerce referred businesses to register to attend the fair.
- Kathy Muncil, the CEO of Fort William Henry Corporation, played an integral role in bringing people together to organize and she communicated frequently with the business participants so that they submitted the required information in advance.
- Warren County’s Director of Employment & Training, Liza Ochsendorf, provided her expertise in hosting job fairs through the Warren County Career Center and assisted in the development of promotional materials and resources for students and businesses.
- Lake George High School Principal Francis Cocozza, the teachers of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Mrs. Breslin and Mrs. Hoffman, and the FBLA students helped make the job fair a success by planning the logistics for the day and the setup for the gymnasium.
- A Lake George High senior student also created a promotional video to conjure up student excitement about attending the fair and the many benefits of working.
“It is critically important that we all come together to educate the next generation about the role they play in helping regional businesses stay alive and thrive post COVID-19. Hosting the job fair increased student awareness about the need for summer employees and brought attention to the recovery efforts needed to rebuild and renew our local economy,” said Lynne Rutnik, the Superintendent of the Lake George Central School District.
Superintendent Rutnik went on to say that she applauds Kathy Muncil and Liza Ochsendorf, who work together on the Warren County Economic Recovery Task Force, for their outreach to LGCSD.
“This job fair demonstrated what true collaboration looks like when school districts and local businesses and leaders come together,” added Rutnik.
“For anyone who has ever said that 'regional kids just do not want to work,' our job fair completely dispelled that myth. Our students were excited and interested in learning about the various employment opportunities within the Lake George region. We had unprecedented student inquiries for working papers in the weeks leading up to the fair and immediately after,” Cocozza noted.
Ochsendorf said that engaging local youth leads to a return on investment that is unquantifiable.
“Through work experience, students gain valuable and long-term skills to utilize in the workforce and they become more rooted in the community at a time when we want and need them to stay local after graduation. Job opportunities also provide access to additional role models, it is constructive use of a student’s time, and you literally watch their confidence skyrocket as they flourish in their jobs," Ochsendorf explained.
“The business community is thrilled to not only recruit new workers but to also build and maintain good relationships with our district schools,” said Muncil. “We are neighbors and now we are partners as well.”
“The goal is that this is a trend that will take off in all local North Country communities, resulting in an annual event. Not only did the job fair align with the district’s mission, vision and values, it demonstrated that we really are all in this together,” said Superintendent Rutnik.
Warren County school districts that would like to set up a job fair for their students can contact Ochsendorf at ochsendorfl@warrencountyny.gov or 518-824-8865.