Northeast Indiana Works participated in Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana’s JobSpark event November 12 and 13 at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne.
The two-day event, designed to expose young people to a variety of careers, drew 7,736 eighth and ninth graders from 51 schools.
“JA JobSpark is … a transformative experience that empowers students to envision their future careers,” said Sue Jackson, senior program manager at Junior Achievement. “By connecting young people with real-world professionals and hands-on learning, we’re equipping them with the tools and inspiration they need to succeed in an ever-changing workforce.”
Northeast Indiana Works touted healthcare careers during the event with its Healthcare Begins With Me awareness initiative, which through the support of a state grant has reached thousands of middle and high school students and generated nearly 10 million social media impressions.
Fort Wayne Marketing, which has been involved in many facets of the campaign, helped man Northeast Indiana Works’ display, as did a student intern, a local college pharmacy student, a regional training provider, and the Region 8 Education Service Center. The Region 8 center helped secure the grant for the campaign and was a key strategic partner.
Healthcare is northeast Indiana’s second largest employing industry and it consistently needs workers at all levels of the sector.
“The career awareness campaign is a long-game approach to building talent pipelines,” said Edmond O’Neal, president and CEO of Northeast Indiana Works. “It won’t solve any workforce shortages right away, but it should put healthcare employers in a better position down the road.”