Yes, you can get in on the action! Here’s how...
Be a part of the conversation, and ultimately, the solution!
Here at Building Bridges to Careers (BB2C) we talk frequently about “building community networks”. Why is this so important? This is important because each existing network of people is a great asset to those that are a part of it. Pieces of solutions to the problems we are working to solve may already exist within these networks, but how will we find these pieces and put them together if the networks aren’t connected and don’t communicate with each other? If YOU have the necessary piece of information that can provide a breakthrough and you are not in on the conversation, we all miss out. Different perspectives (parents, students, education, business, governmental organizations, community organizations, etc…) bring different ideas to the table. Connecting those ideas and finding the missing pieces will help us bridge the gap between education and employment.
For our region, annual Chamber of Commerce dinners and events are a prime example of networking opportunities for local businesses. Over 1000 people from the mid-Ohio valley will attend the Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner Monday night. Taking a cue from the Chamber of Commerce network, BB2C provides two more events this month that include the entire community and, specifically, educators.
Thursday, March 12, from 4:30 - 6:00 at the Washington County Career Center is the BB2C Community Meeting, which is the Washington County Schools Business Advisory Council’s first quarterly meeting of 2020 and the whole county is welcome to attend. This event will kick off with a panel of high school students talking about what they think and know about employment in our region.
Tuesday, March 24, from 5:00 - 6:30 at Austyn’s on Front Street in Marietta is the Education after Hours. This event provides educators and local business representatives time to network with each other - which is sooooo important!! If these two institutions are not talking to each other, the gap between education and employment will continue to grow. All area educators and local business representatives are invited to attend.
Lastly, if you haven’t heard, Marietta College, Washington County Career Center, Washington State Community College, Jobs & Family Services, and Building Bridges to Careers have partnered to create Career Connect – a job fair to meet the needs of job seekers of all ages and employers in the Mid-Ohio Valley. Career Connect will take place on March 19, from 8:00 - 4:00 PM at Marietta College’s Dyson-Baudo Recreation Center. You can register your business or organization to have a booth by clicking here.
We want successful students, stronger businesses, and prosperous communities, and it still takes a village to make that happen. See you sometime in March!