ERIE, Pa. — Penn State Behrend’s All-Access Career Fair will expand the spring event’s traditional format, opening it to job-seekers with all levels of education. The Feb. 13 program, offered in partnership with Erie County government and PA CareerLink, will be open to the public.
“We consistently hear from recruiters who need employees at all skill levels,” said Michelle Hartmann, associate director of corporate engagement at Behrend. “This is an opportunity to leverage the Behrend career fair, which already is one of the largest in the region, and connect those companies with more candidates.”
More than 140 companies and community organizations will attend the All-Access Career Fair, including representatives of Allegheny Health Network, Matthews International, Erie Insurance and the Knox Law Firm. They will meet with candidates from noon until 4 p.m. in Behrend’s Erie Hall.
Recruiters for Allegheny Performance Plastics, the Naval Nuclear Laboratory and the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University also will attend.
The Career Services team at Behrend hosts two career fairs every year. The spring program tends to be smaller, Hartmann said; Behrend students often secure their job and internship offers earlier in the academic year.
“A lot of our students already have accepted offers,” she said. “This is an opportunity for other students, including students who are not yet ready to graduate, to begin building their professional networks and practice their interactions with potential employers.”
Adding a public track at an established career fair also benefits the recruiters, who often need employees for work that does not require a degree.
“This is really being driven by the employers,” Hartmann said. “Nearly half of the companies we work with are looking for both college graduates and employees without degrees. This is another way we can help them while serving our students and encouraging new connections across our community.”