LIMA, OH (WLIO) - Lima Senior students with specialized education needs received the chance to come face-to-face with potential future employers today.
As part of In-Demand Jobs Week in Ohio, Lima Senior partnered with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities to hold a career fair-style expo for the students. The event gives the students the chance to engage with employers and work on professional skills like resume building and effective interviewing.
Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities officials say they want to give employers exposure to people with disabilities to be more inclusive in the workplace and shine a light on the benefits they can bring to their business.
"So the people with disabilities, the employment market is looking very well because you know people are trying to be inclusive in the workplace so right now is a great time for people with disabilities with this new motivation with employers and the community we want to be involved in the community and really bring awareness to that. So that is actually something that I do in my position. I can go out to employers within the community and talk to them about best practices for hiring people with disabilities," stated Alanna Smith, business relations specialist with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities.
"I plan to contact at least one of these jobs once I graduate because right now I'm working at a place called Sam's Club. So that's my job for right now, but after school I plan to keep working there for a good few months or maybe a few years if I feel like it, and then after that, once I've got all the money I collected and all the hard work I've towards it I might contact one of these jobs and consider getting hired. With those connections, I can basically use those in life so I can become financially stable," said Jermonte Pettigrew, a senior at Lima Senior High School.
This was the second year Lima Senior and the Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities put on the expo.
