BATAVIA, N.Y. (WKBW) — It was a day of hands-on learning at the Genesee County Fairgrounds.
Over a thousand students from 30 different school districts came together on Tuesday for the annual career exploration event hosted by GLOW With Your Hands.
"We want to connect these kids with opportunities with tremendous employers to retain here in our local region so they can build the economic fibers of our community," said Angela Grouse, Co-chair of the event.
Students had the opportunity to get an up-close look at a wide range of career opportunities from more than 70 local businesses and companies, including major employers, trade unions, and the manufacturing, agriculture, and construction industries.
"We have kids laying brick, we have kids mudding, we have kids working with calves in our agriculture area, sitting up in sprayers and running excavators," said Grouse. "They are really tying on these careers to see what fits on them."
"It's a cool event, we've had a lot of activity," said David Bertola, from National Grid. "We are showing them what it takes to use the equipment, how to put the protective gear on, the gloves and the rubber sleeves. We are even showing them how to open and close a circuit on top of a transformer."
The goal was to help students understand the potential careers available locally.
"Where you want to come work directly out of high school, or you want to go on for post-secondary training and education, these are opportunities you can pursue right in your backyard," said Grouse.
