COLUMBIA FALLS - A group of Columbia Falls High School students has been working hard alongside community leaders to host a job fair.
The event will take place in the high school gymnasium on Tuesday, Feb. 7. from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m.
Not only is the job fair a great opportunity for students, but a portion of the event is also open to the public, with anyone looking for employment encouraged to attend.
More than 60 employers have already signed up for the 6th annual Columbia Falls Community Job Fair.
“There will be so many employers set up, so we’ve had to use our whole gym space and more, so it will all be through those gym doors,” said Columbia Falls High School senior Jonathan Blankenship.
Blankenship is part of the school’s Education Committee, working alongside the chamber of commerce and Job Service Kalispell to put on the event.
“Help our employers find more employees, and so obviously we want our students to get a job if they need one, and we want them to have access and the ability to do so,” added Blankenship.
The first half of the job fair will be limited to just students, with the second half opening up to the public.
“Being able to open this up to students first is fantastic but then opening it up to our public, to have them come in truly makes this a community-wide event," said Columbia Falls High School Principal Jon Konen.
Konen said some employers will be offering job interviews on-site.
“Exciting for students to know that it might be some of their first times ever creating a resume or doing an interview, all those skills and soft skills we are really going to work on and focus on,” added Konen.
Blankenship said fellow high school students are looking forward to seeing what’s out there as they begin to enter the workforce.
“It kind of helps you get that sense of okay this is where we’re going in life, this is where we need to kind of look forward to for the long-term goal of after high school,” said Blankenship.
Columbia Falls Community Job Fair - Feb 7, 2023, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.:
- From 1-2, it is open to sophomores to conduct career and job explorations. They will explore jobs, meet employers and complete a scavenger hunt by asking questions of local businesses.
- From 2-3, it is open to all other students to job search. Students will have the opportunity to apply for part-time jobs, and summer jobs, and to make connections with local employers.
- From 3:00-3:45 Business Networking Hour. This is a time to connect and create community partnerships.
- From 3:45 - 6:00, Public Job Fair Begins.
