Chamber hosting college and career fair
Evening event is a change from previous years
POTTSTOWN » The TriCounty Area Chamber of Commerce will host its long-standing College and Career Fair Monday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at THE Coventry Mall.
The chamber has made a change to this year’s event — an event the chamber has hosted for more than 20 years, according to chamber President Eileen Dautrich.
Instead of being held in the morning with students bused in from area schools, this year’s event will be held in the evening — at the mall in North Coventry. The idea is something Dautrich saw was done at Exton Mall recently.
“Coventry mall is doing all they can to be a community resource. They were happy to work with us on this. We’re all excited,” she said.
Dautrich said the new format opens the event to the entire community.
“It gives parents an opportunity to come with the students to the fair and get information. But it also opens the event to those who may be looking to go back to school,” she added.
In the old format, according to Dautrich, the chamber would work with area high school guidance departments and the students would come to the event and spent about an hour. The event was limited to just the students. She said this year — it’s more family-oriented.
“They have access to the colleges to get more information before taking the time to visit the schools,” Dautrich said. “The fair is a chance to talk face-to-face with someone about the school — there’s more personal contact — and they can gain information and ask questions.”
Dautrich said the event has always gotten a good response from the colleges wanting to exhibit, but it has changed over time as some of the school participation declined.
“This year, we’re growing,” she said, adding that 90 colleges and universities - up from 60 last year — are planning to attend the event, as well as several area businesses. The exhibitors will offer prospective students and their parents information about college programs or career opportunities.
The College and Career Fair will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 2 at the Coventry Mall.
Those looking to participate in the fair are encouraged to enter the mall at the entrance near Gabe’s, which Dautrich said the chamber is considering the fair entrance. Participants can register and receive a bag to store information they pick up during the event. They will also receive a map of where each school or business is located in the mall.
“The list of all the participants is also available online, so the students can do a little bit of homework about which schools they would like to visit with. They don’t have to visit with everyone and can go toward their target to get information or start a relationship,” she added. “The fair has a nice variety — of geography and types of schools. It’s a chance to get information from all the avenues they are considering.”
For more information about the College & Career Fair, visit http://business.tricountyareachamber.com/events/ details/2017-college-careerfair-848734 .