WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL)—With unemployment still at much higher levels than pre-COVID days, companies are more involved than ever in finding qualified employees for future months and years ahead.

Scores of them partnered with the WFISD Career Education Center, to show job opportunities to high school students about to graduate.

From the military to restaurants, to welding shops and so much more, students at the CEC were offered countless and convenient opportunities at this year’s career fair.

“I think its really important for the students because they don’t always want to go out and when the opportunity is put in front of them and they see that they can apply here instead of somewhere they have to go out, they can do it here,” Junior at Rider High School, Megan Neal said.

“We’re excited, we have 60 different businesses and colleges that are out here to talk to our students, whether it’s to hire for a summer job or talk to them about post-graduation employment or just to get them aware of their business in town,” Director of Career Technical Education, Michelle Wood said.

Which is exactly what Frank and Joe’s Coffee House co-founder, Jessica Edwards is doing.

“I think it gives people an opportunity to meet the people that are influential in making those decisions on who they’re going to hire ahead of time so that they can see, do I want to work for this company?” Edwards said.

Wood said not only is this career fair beneficial for students but for the actual company owners as well, seeing that 1,600 students were on deck for job recruitment.

“I think they need employees, they wanted to get out, everybody’s kind of ready to get back to normal and so we were super impressed with the feedback,” Wood said.

She said this year’s career fair was the largest so far, nearly tripling the number of companies participating than in years past.

Wood wants to remind any other businesses out there that might not have been able to participate today that they can always email her about upcoming job opportunities that she can pass along to students.

If you are interested, email Wood at: MWood@WFISD.net