MakerFest shows 1,500 students career pathways

LIMA — It’s never too early to prepare for the future.

Twenty-two schools are bringing more than 1,500 students to attend MakerFest on Thursday and Friday. The event aimed to expose the students to potential career paths and help them make informed career choices.

Held at the Allen County Fairgrounds, the event brought together companies and businesses from the surrounding counties. Students had the opportunity to interact with employers, participate in mini-workshops and engage in hands-on activities.

While initially focused on high school seniors, the event now targets freshmen and sophomores to help them explore their potential career pathways.

“I’ve been to a lot of interesting booths, some that I thought I’d never go to. It’s interesting to learn new and different things,” said Brooklyn Andreasen, an Ada High School sophomore.

Andreasen explained that students took a survey and a career test to see what booths they would best match.

“I’m looking into physical therapy,” she said.

Dave Stratton, president and CEO of the Greater Lima Region, Inc., praised the event as well as the collaboration necessary to make it happen. The event included 54 businesses and 77 activities, showing boosted collaboration between counties. The event hosted 21 healthcare, 20 skilled trade, 18 business and logistics, nine manufacturing and nine public works and safety businesses.

“It’s more of a regional event now. We want it to be an eight-county event rather than just Allen County,” Stratton said.

Because retaining youth for future employment in the region is also important to Stratton, he pointed to the potential of having younger students in the future.

“At some point, we’re going to consider the junior-high level,” he said. “Who knows what the future looks like? We have something good here.”

Tim Fitzpartrick, the University of Northwestern Ohio’s dean of the College of Businesses, Health Professions & Occupational Professions, acted as a leader for the staff and volunteer help that made the event possible. He hopes the event will continue to grow.

“We have more activities going on this year. The more the merrier. We’re hoping to grow this event next year,” he said.

Dan Lee, principal at Ada High School, commended the efforts to make the event more hands-on, as well as the engagement between students and vendors.

“If I’m scheduled to go to that booth, the quality of the interaction is going to be much better,” he said. “Being hands-on does more than a pamphlet.”

Because career exploration is tough for kids, Lee wasn’t opposed to having younger kids participate in future events.

“You really have to make time, and I think middle school is the right time to give it thought,” he said.

Reach Cade Higgins at 567-242-0351