Mike Wolanin | The Republic Cosmetologists Rachel Hopkins, from left, Kristy Boyd and Ashley Foster participate in a question and answer session with C4 cosmetology students during C4 Career Week at Columbus East High School in Columbus, Ind., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023.
Local high school students recently had the chance to get a glimpse of the opportunities and expectations that come with entering the workplace.
C4 held its second annual Career Week from Feb. 13 to 17, with 26 different businesses of various industries and sizes participating in the event, according to C4 team leader Autumne Streeval.
“We’re trying to give students the tools that they’ll need to prepare for that first job, that first career,” she said.
Students in every C4 class participated in the week by working on employment skills such as resume writing, interviewing, communication, conflict resolution, professional dress and demeanor.
The week also included workshops on “Getting Into the Workforce,” “Workforce Expectations” and “Financial Literacy.”
“We also, in addition to the workshops, had guest speakers and panelists come into specific classes to talk about jobs that are specific for that industry,” said Streeval. “We also had companies that did industry presentations — so, for example, Columbus Regional Health had several different booths that students could visit that highlighted the different careers within health science. Cummins also had a large event brought in several people to also showcase the different career pathways within their business as well.”
Additionally, health science and dental students took field trips to visit Ivy Tech Community College – Columbus.
A new feature from this year’s Career Week was the “Mad City Money” simulation, which Streeval described as an exercise in budgeting monthly costs that several students found to be “eye-opening.”
Another change from last year is that C4 plans to hold mock interviews with industry partners from May 1 to May 5. Last year, these were part of Career Week, which took place in April. According to Streeval, school officials decided to hold Career Week in February this year because it is national Career and Technical Education Month, and the week-long event is focused on career prep.
When asked what sets the week apart from C4’s other career awareness, exploration and preparation activities, Streeval replied, “What’s unique to this week for our students is the opportunities that they have to interact with so many members of our community and so many of our business partners. With that many volunteers coming into our classrooms, the students are able to make those connections and talk to them about potential careers.”
