Hundreds of students seeking more experience in the business world are expected at the Fredericksburg Expo Center on Valentine’s Day.
The Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the University of Mary Washington, will welcome over 500 high school students to the Fredericksburg Expo Center on February 14th for the second annual Intern Expo.
High school students from Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline, King George, several private schools, and students from Germanna and the University of Mary Washington will have the opportunity to interact with 75 businesses representing multiple facets of the industry. Businesses at this event will be able to speak with local high school and college students with an eye toward recruitment and retention of homegrown talent.
The new partnership between the Chamber of Commerce and UMW is meant to increase and enhance internships in the GO Virginia Region 6. The Chamber and UMW intend to collaborate to increase internships by using state-developed resources to educate employers, co-host the Internship Expo, and expand the reach of the Expo across GO Virginia Region 6.
“This collaboration makes sense for our organizations and this region. With resources from the Virginia Talent+Opportunity (VTOP) grant, we are positioned to highlight employment opportunities within the region and match students who are prepared to enter the world of work as interns or take a step toward their first career,” said Kimberly Young, Associate Provost for Career and Workforce at UMW.
Students will be able to prepare professionally for their career with breakout sessions that include mock interviews, Linked-In advice, resume reviews, career assessments, elevator pitch practice, and what are the next steps with all the information gathered throughout the day.
Participating students have an opportunity to receive one of three $1,500 scholarships. Businesses in attendance are encourage to donate to the scholarship fund.
Mary Washington Healthcare Foundation, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, and Rappahannock Goodwill Industries contributed to the scholarships fund.
Fredericksburg Area Builders Association, Bay Consortium Workforce Development, Matern Staffing, Rappahannock Goodwill Industries, Rappahannock United Way and Rappahannock Electric Cooperative are event sponsors.
