Thu, May 15, 2025 • 12:00 AM
Nearly 40 technical schools, local unions, college representatives and vendors gathered at Gateway High School on May 7 for the district’s fifth annual Skilled Trades and Career Fair.
“The setup is similar to the College Fair held during the first semester,” school counselor Kurt Martin said. “The reps all looked forward to spending the afternoon interacting and showcasing post-secondary options with our students.”
National Skilled Trades Day was founded in 2019 by Ohio’s City Machine Technologies and is observed on the first Wednesday in May. The purpose is to recognize the value of skilled trades and honor skilled tradespeople.
The fair is an opportunity for students to learn about the enrollment process and financial aid, discuss educational goals and potentially complete applications.
Senior Wesley Lucas plans to attend Point Park University is the fall for cinema arts, and thinks the skilled trades fair is a great idea for students.
“I think it’s a very helpful thing for incoming students, especially 9th and 10th graders,” Lucas said. “It gives them ideas as to what they want to do after graduation.”
Senior Cheyenne Rollins plans to attend Kent State University for sports psychology. She hopes to get her doctorate and work in Historically Black College and Universities.
Caitlynn Jenkins, also a senior, is still deciding between barber or business school.
“I’d like to cut men and women’s hair, because some salons do both,” Jenkins said. If she attends business school, Jenkins would like to open her own hair salon.
UPMC representatives in health plan information, nursing, information technology and maintenance and facilities attended.
“We are building a new hospital in Oakland called Presbyterian Expansion,” said Adrienne Miles, diversity, equity and inclusion manager for corporate construction. The 17-story building will offer 636 new patient beds.
Miles said they are looking for workers to help with construction. She brought along a virtual reality simulator to show students what the completed hospital will look like.
Kimberly George, a senior system analyst, is a volunteer for UPMC Women in IT.