First LRSW Career Showcase attracting local companies

Local employers and educational institutions are signing on to highlight a variety of career paths at the first LRSW Career Showcase on Thursday, Oct. 3, in the Gilson Gymnasium at Lind-Ritzville High Schools.

To date, 12 exhibitors are committed to the event and others are expected to register in the coming week. The roster includes Washington Association of Wheat Growers, Adams County Public Works, Columbia Bank, Starbucks, RDO Equipment Company, Big Bend Electric Cooperative, JR Simplot (Othello food processing division), Adams County Integrated Health Care Services, Wheatland Bank, Agriculture and Natural Resources Center of Excellence based at Walla Walla Community College, Construction Center of Excellence of Spokane, Big Bend Community College Medical Simulation, and Adams County Treasurer Kayla Miese.

“It’s important for local employers to interact with students and share the opportunities within their business or company,” said Janis Rountree, manager of Adams County Development Council. “Most students haven’t decided what they want to pursue in their future. The Showcase gives students a hands-on experience and a chance to speak to people who work in various types of jobs.”

The deadline to register for the event is Friday, Sept. 27. Registration is required. Exhibitors should plan to be set up on Oct. 3, by 9:15 a.m. The first group of students will arrive at 9:30 a.m. The event ends at 2:30 p.m. SkillSource will sponsor a brown bag lunch for all exhibitors.

“The goal is to help build a future workforce and showcase the great careers that are available in our communities,” said Stephen McFadden, Adams County’s economic development director. “We hope to attract a wide variety of local employers including representatives of agriculture, healthcare and emergency services. Small business owners and entrepreneurs are also encouraged to attend.”

Middle and high school students from Lind, Ritzville, Sprague and Washtucna will attend the showcase. They will also view a locally-produced video that features employees and business owners from numerous companies.

Those interviewed will speak to why they picked the career field they are in, the types of skills they needed and any education acquired. They will also touch on why they elected to live in rural communities. The majority of those interviewed are local high school graduates.

The video demonstrates the diversity of career opportunities.

“The Career Showcase is important to show students there are multiple options for career choices after high school and that many of those opportunities could be right here at home,” Rountree said. “I think it’s so important for kids to know that if they want to pursue a university level degree or earn a trade certification, all paths are important to the future of our entire workforce.”

The video features: Lloyd Stoess, owner of Stoess Manufacturing in Washtucna; Michelle Hennings, Executive Director of Washington Association of Wheat Growers; Dr. Marty Sackmann, owner of Hometown Family Medicine; Adam Krause, lineman for Big Bend Electric Cooperative; John Kragt, attorney for Carpenter, McGuire & DeWulf, P.S .; Jaime Main, maintenance technician for the McGregor Company; Kindra Haase, owner of Kindra’s Coffee Bar in Lind; and Julie Trofibio, ARNP, a nurse practitioner for East Adams Rural Healthcare.

The LRSW Career Showcase was created via a partnership between Adams County Development Council and the local school districts. It follows the model created in 2017 for the Othello Career Showcase.

The event looks to achieve several goals:

-To provide a venue for students to meet local employers.

-To provide employers an opportunity to showcase the career fields they offer.

-To inform students of specific skill, certifications and degrees jobs require.

-To Introduce students to CB Tech and Big Bend Community College’s professional technical training programs.

-To showcase job and career fields in an interactive and engaging format.

-To open doors for future student job placement efforts.

To sign up, contact Janis Rountree at Adams County Development Council by email at [email protected] or by phone at (509) 331-2042.