Eddie Mowen Jr. | The Register-Herald
EATON — More than 400 students from Preble County’s five school districts learned about options for their future during the annual Eighth Grade Career Experience Day on Thursday, Sept. 5.
Held at the Expo Center on the Preble County Fairgrounds, the day allowed the students to explore four of 16 different career clusters through hands-on activities. The event, now in its fourth year, included presentations from 70 industry professionals, showcasing opportunities in a wide range of fields.
The goal of the event is to help students see the practical applications of their academics and the various career paths available in Pebble County, emphasizing the potential for good living and financial stability, according to PC Career Connections Director Harold Niehaus.
“It’s fantastic because kids from all five schools come,” Niehaus said. “We have about 420 8th graders that come.”
“We have everything from architecture and construction, agriculture and environmental science to transportation, logistics, law enforcement, public safety, finance, health, science, government and administration, marketing, business and administration. A lot of different opportunities for students, as well as the manufacturing and STEM,” he added.
“We’ve had OSU here with information technology. We’ve had Fitzwater, we’ve had ABF Freight Company, Lewisburg Container and Logistics. So, there’s a lot of opportunity for those people to share what their expertise is and what type of job opportunities there are,” he said.
“I really hope that the students take away the opportunity to see how their academics affect where they’re going to head in life. If they learn math, that they learn science and those different things, English and so on, that they can apply those in the workplace, and that there are a ton of opportunities here in Preble County for a good living — a lot of different opportunities for good money to be made, a good opportunity for them and their family,” Niehaus said.
The Preble County Business Advisory Council helps gather the presenters, according to Niehaus.
“The eighth graders were awesome today,” Niehaus noted. “I think they were very, very involved.”
Reach Eddie Mowen Jr. at 937-683-4061 and follow on X.
