FREDERICKTOWN – Students at Fredericktown High School learned recently that there are many healthcare career opportunities in addition to becoming a physician or a nurse.
That was the focus of the healthcare career expo at FHS last Wednesday. Students participated in four sessions that focused on nursing, support services, medical technicians and EMS/office roles.
Presenters were from Knox Community Hospital, Knox Technical Center, The Ohio Eastern Star Home and the Knox County Department of Developmental Disabilities.
The expo was coordinated by Sean McCutcheon, career navigator at the Knox Educational Service Center, and Julia Suggs, economic development coordinator at the Area Development Foundation. Both were on site throughout the day.
“The purpose of the expo is to expose kids to health care employment opportunities that they hadn’t previously considered,” Suggs said.
“WorkDev (short for Workforce Development Alliance Group), which is hosting today’s program, is a group of manufacturing and healthcare employers working to remove employment barriers by helping businesses and job seekers make connections.
“This expo today is the healthcare part.”
McCutcheon emphasized that the presenters were sharing information, not recruiting potential employees.
“This is a really cool collaboration among the presenters. They’re not saying, ‘Hey, come work for us.’ They are presenting information about healthcare occupations,” he said. “For example, do you want to become a nurse? Here’s how you can pursue that path.
“They also are explaining all of the healthcare support positions that include technicians, culinary, maintenance, clerical and security.”
Freshmen rotated among the four sessions from 7:59 to 9:36 a.m. Sophomores followed suit from 9:40 to 11:26, then juniors and seniors from 12:30 to 2:20 p.m.
FHS counselor Karen Barta helped to set up the day’s schedule.
“This program is so valuable because it brings awareness to all aspects of healthcare,” she said. “Students are hearing about the many different pathways that can lead to careers in healthcare besides being a doctor or a nurse.”
A similar healthcare expo was held at Centerburg High School last fall. McCutcheon said plans are to expand the program to Danville High School and East Knox High School during the 2024-2025 school year.