Career fair planned at Young Memorial

Career Link 2014 will be held at the Young Memorial Campus of South Central Louisiana Technical College from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
As St. Mary Parish unemployment rates continue to fall, with February’s rate at 4.7 percent, education and training becomes even more important in filling the higher-paying skilled jobs in the area, Earl Meador, college regional director, said.
Meador said the college attempts to offer a career fair twice each year. The fair allows business and industry to showcase employment opportunities based on technical education that is offered at the college.
The fair will showcase the programs offered by the college and provides an opportunity to inform high school students and their parents of the career opportunities that are opened up with technical training.
The college offers multiple training programs for career paths in the oil and gas industry, construction, medical and office and accounting fields. It has commercial diving and marine operation programs that attract students across the country as well as from out of the United States.
As a partner in Louisiana’s Work ReadyU adult education program, the college offers training in completing a high school equivalency diploma. The program seeks to address the needs of the 600,000 working age adults in Louisiana without a high school credential who need an opportunity to obtain the skills necessary to achieve a better life, Karl Young, college dean, said.
Work ReadyU helps dropouts drop back in with more than just a diploma, Meador said.
The college is positioned with its skilled training programs to offer clear pathways into and through career and technical education programs, he said.
The college is located at 900 Youngs Road.
Refreshments will be served at the event.