Tim Dunn/CapeCod.com
WEST BARNSTABLE – Hundreds of area high school students and over 40 businesses, organizations and institutions took part in the first-ever WaterWORKS career showcase event for the water-based Blue Economy at Cape Cod Community College on Tuesday.
At WaterWORKS, over 300 college-bound, certificate-bound, and workforce-bound high school students from the Cape and Islands, as well as Wareham and Plymouth, discovered a multitude of jobs and career paths available to them.
“There’s a whole range of careers here from aquaculture to fisheries and science, the management of these things and all the technology that goes along with them,” said Director of Cape Cod Regional STEM Network Bridgette Burger.
“Our hope is that by exposing them to these careers and by having them have conversations with these exhibitors, they can find out if that’s something that’s interesting to them, and if so, what the steps would be to prepare themselves for that career.”
The half day event began at 9:30 a.m. in the college’s Tilden Auditorium, where students were greeted with remarks from CCCC President John Cox, Secretary of the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development Rosalin Acosta, and Barnstable High School Science Teacher Joanne Jarzobski.
Students then split up to tour the “islands” of the blue economy business sectors, located in various buildings throughout the campus.
“Our goal for today was to connect these students with these employers that are doing this very cool work in the blue economy,” said Burger.
The event concluded in the auditorium during a wrap-up assembly with Cape and Islands State Senator Julian Cyr and Massachusetts Maritime Academy President – Rear Admiral Francis McDonald.
Students were given the opportunity to speak with high ranking representatives and owners of blue economy-based organizations and businesses. The experience also included interactive displays, hands-on activities and exhibits.
Burger adds that the event also set a focus on directing the students on how to get into the career path they’re interested in.
“It’s one thing to see what you want to do, but it’s another thing to actually know how to get there. All through these one-on-one conversations with these exhibitors, many of whom are the CEO’s of these big companies,” Burger said.
“I was really stunned that the actual CEO’s of the companies chose to come today and not just send someone from their public relations department. It’s a huge opportunity for these kids and I’m really thrilled with how the event turned out.”
The event was created in partnership between the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, the Cape Cod Regional STEM Network, and the Cape Cod Blue Economy Foundation, Inc.
By TIM DUNN, CapeCod.com News Center
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