Northern High School Job Fair Aims To Connect Teens With Local Businesses

OWINGS, Md. — Students at Northern High School will have the chance to meet local employers at a job fair co-hosted by Calvert’s Parks and Recreation on Thursday, Feb. 26.

The job fair is an ongoing partnership between the school and Parks and Recreation, and gives students from 9th to 12th grade the opportunity to learn about job opportunities and apprenticeships or get hired for seasonal work.

In addition to all the Parks and Rec divisions, students will get the chance to meet with recruiters from local police and fire departments, the town of Chesapeake Beach, Sneade’s Ace Hardware, CalvertHealth and local steamfitters and plumbers unions seeking apprentices. The Calvert County Library will also be in attendance to talk about creating resumes and other job search tools.

The fair is only open to Northern High School students, with the groups coming in by grade level throughout the day. Erica Love, recreation coordinator of the Northern District for Parks and Recreation, said the job fair is a huge part of helping the department fill roles for seasonal jobs and creates valuable first job opportunities for high school students who want to earn some money over the summer, gain job skills and start building a resume.

So far, there are 50 businesses participating this year, and the application to attend the fair is still open. Businesses will be provided with a table and two chairs, but should bring their own flyers, business cards, job applications or any other materials they’d like to share. Any interested business can fill out the online form.

“It’s great because we can tailor it to all grade levels,” Love said. “The freshmen may not be able to get jobs right now because of work permits, but they come and they learn next steps. The sophomores are often looking for those first jobs, and juniors and seniors are interested in planning for the future.”

She says that Parks and Recreation is mainly looking for seasonal roles, but many other attendees are hoping to build long-term relationships and help students envision their career beyond the classroom.

“It’s a great resource for them,” Love said. “Their guidance and career counselors do a lot to prepare them. So even if you don’t walk away with a job, you get an opportunity to practice these skills and have the confidence to walk up to an employer and start a conversation.”

---