NORTH SMITHFIELD – North Smithfield High School held a career fair last Thursday for all grades that drew representatives from many local businesses showcasing job opportunities in their fields.
“Some kids are going into the work force after graduation, and some are going to college,” said Asst. Principal Kim Rawson. “We actually do lessons building up to this event to give us ideas of what students are interested in, and then we can tailor it to their interests. This is the second year of this format, and it’s been really successful.”
Career areas highlighted at the fair included agriculture, construction, digital technology, financial services, public service and safety, hospitality, education and healthcare.
At the Slatersville Veterinary Clinic table, vet technician Kayla Fernandes said she was happy to share her knowledge of veterinary science with students.
“We are just here to educate the students and get them interested. I’ve been [a vet tech] for 15 years. I started at 19. I have a passion for it. It’s a lot of hard work and long hours but I love it,” Fernandes said.
“It’s an exciting career. Every day is different, every case is different,” said vet tech Bonnie Domonte. “We get to help animals and educate clients.”
Jazmyn Kennell, age 14 and a freshman at the school, stood with a group of friends who were asking questions at the Slatersville Veterinary Clinic table. She said she was intrigued by many other future professions.
“I’m also interested in creative writing and broadcast journalism,” Kennell said. “I’m going to go to the nursing tables too because my sister is going into nursing and I want to learn about that process. I also like police stuff too.”
At the Fire Protection Sales and Business Development table, Joshua Silvia of J.C. Cannistraro, an HVAC, plumbing and fire protection services company, shared his insight on the types of questions students usually ask at career fairs.
“’How much do you make?’ is a common one,” Silvia said. “But also ‘do you enjoy it?’ ‘What education do you need?’ ‘What is it?’ I’ll talk to them about the sprinklers you see in buildings, whether they’re concealed or not, what kind of fire protection is in there.”
With 29 years in the industry, Silvia said he enjoys talking about what he does for work.
“I’m here to promote the construction industry and the multiple aspects of it,” he said. “There’s construction, engineering, design, et cetera.”
The Rhode Island Department of Corrections sent representatives to the career fair with a mission, said Officer Judith Speaks.
“We are seeking to hire 150 officers in the next six months to fill a shortage,” she said. “About 600 officers who were hired in the 90s have retired. So we are here to explain what a day in the life is like and what do we offer.”
Speaks, who has worked for the Department for eight and a half years, said the it has “excellent benefits,” including tuition reimbursement, and health, dental and vision insurance.
April Paniccia, director of Social Services at St. Antoine Community, said she came ready to promote her career in the healthcare field.
“Oh I could talk all day,” Paniccia said. “I want to tell them how diverse [the field] is, how you can do a lot with a bachelor’s degree. There’s foster care, non-profits, working with the elderly.”
Many of the tables at the fair displayed merchandise with logos such as stickers, pencils and small toys. Paniccia also brought another popular item, something she called a critical element for the students’ swag bags.
“I whip them in with the candy and then throw a pen at them,” she said.
Mike Correia is a member of the cyber security team at Envision Technology Advisors in Pawtucket. He said that students arrive to his table interested in the field but become fascinated when he tells them what he actually does at the company.
“When I tell them that part of my job is hacking, then I get a lot of questions about that,” Correia said. “The more you know about something, the more possible it seems. I just want to give them the blueprinted path of how to get into cyber security. URI and Johnson and Wales have good programs.”
Paulette Butler wore a baby doll in baby carrier to signify her work as a doula, a woman who offers emotional and educational support to clients through their pregnancies and birth, she said.
“It’s a wonderful career,” said Butler. “You get to be your own boss, you get to be an entrepreneur. Rhode Island is one of the best states in the country for this. Two and a half years ago Rhode Island was the first state in the country to offer medical insurance coverage for doulas.”
The students browsed tables inside the gym, congregating at popular tables including the ACE Mentor Program of RI, a free after-school program for high schoolers to learn about career paths in construction, and Navigant Credit Union, while outside in the gym lobby, members of the Armed Forces including Air Force, Navy, RI Air National Guard, and U.S. Space Force also drew crowds.
Two friends wandered the gym holding their swag bags.
“I’m looking for architecture,” said Nicholas Rivard, 14.
“I’m open to everything,” said Dylan Eguizabal, also 14.
High School staff mingled with the students, helping them to find the fields they were interested in.
“It’s a good community thing,” Director of School Counseling Bill Pepin said. “We are very pleased.”
