More than 2,000 students from 80 high schools across Connecticut attended CareerCONN Tuesday, the state's largest in-person career school fair.
The post-secondary career school fair was run by the Connecticut Office of Higher Education (OHE) and hosted at Mohegan Sun. Various career schools, upwards of 40, had tables at the event and were on hand to answer questions from students.
"A four-year degree isn't for everybody. There are opportunities in these career schools that will put Connecticut kids back to work, hopefully in Connecticut, with good-paying jobs," said Tim Larson, who leads the OHE. "Hopefully they found something they are passionate about."
Students learned about training opportunities for many high-demand careers in various industries including automotive, manufacturing, hospitality, healthcare, and more. Some of the schools at the fair have direct relationships with employers.
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"The idea is that when you graduate, you have a certificate and somebody is looking to hire you," said Larson.
Storm Powell, a high school student from Hartford, said she is not sure what she wants to do yet when she graduates. She was thankful to learn about options outside of the traditional college experience.
"It is good to know that I don't have to go to college just to be what I want to be," said Powell.
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Larson said that there are gaps in Connecticut's workforce and the state needs workers in these industries.
