EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio – Numerous students from several Columbiana County school districts had the opportunity Thursday to learn what is available to them after graduation during a college and career fair at East Liverpool High School.
The daylong event attracted not only East Liverpool students but those from Beaver Local, Lisbon, Salem and Wellsville.
Representatives from more than 60 businesses, military branches, trade unions, trade and technical schools, universities and colleges attended the event, outlining what awaits those who join them.
Leigh Ann Smith of Growing Rural Independence Together was on hand to let students know about the program, which is a coalition of partners including OhioMeansJobs, JobsOhio, Ohio Department of Jobs & Family Services, common pleas and drug courts, K-12 schools, community colleges and universities, drug treatment providers, businesses, nonprofits and APEG, funded through the state budget.
Originally, GRIT targeted five Appalachian Ohio counties but has now expanded to all those in Appalachia – including Columbiana – and certain neighboring counties including Mahoning and Trumbull.
The heart of the project is to empower both students and adults on the path to financial independence through meaningful employment. Personalized career assessments and one-on-one coaching by career specialists are provided at no cost to students or districts.
In the East Liverpool district, for example, students in the GRIT program partner with Marsh Bellofram in Newell, W.Va., with tours and internships. If they successfully complete the internship, they are offered a job after graduating from high school.
Smith said the partnership with Marsh Bellofram is a pilot program she hopes can be started between other districts and companies.
“We’re trying to get the word out that we’re available and free to districts. It almost sounds too good to be true,” Smith said.
Students at Thursday’s event were required to complete a paper showing they had held productive discussions with at least three of the representatives present, and that appeared to be no problem as they clustered around the various tables.
The city fire department was represented by several firefighters, assisting at least two students into the heavy gear they generally wear.
Eli Murphy, owner of Wise Buys Flooring, offered a log, and the students lucky enough to hammer a nail into it won $2 bills.
Douglas Education Center attracted some interested students with its creative display of classes, ranging from special effects makeup and filmmaking to cosmetology, massage therapy and skilled trade programs.
Mary Beth Seipp, admissions coordinator/recruiter, said the school in Monessen, Pa., is about 90 minutes from East Liverpool and offers both 16-month associate degree programs as well as diplomas and certificates.
Though some of the courses may seem earmarked only for those interested in filmmaking, Seipp said students’ talents can be used in a variety of fields, such as prosthetics, dentistry, theme parks and museums.
“They’re more diverse than many people think,” she said, adding one of the school’s students did, however, work on the new release of “It,” a film based on a Stephen King novel.
East Liverpool student counselors Lori Adkins and Dawn Pipo organized the event for the fifth year. Pipo said the event is already planned for next school year, and she is looking at ways to lengthen it for students who said they didn’t have enough time to fully interact with all of the representatives.
Pictured at top: Sierra Trombetti, right, admissions leader for Bella Capelli Academy, talks to students at Thursday’s event.