High schoolers shown local career opportunities

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — High school students were shown local career opportunities through the ‘Growing Our Own’ event held last Thursday at the Lido.

Event organizer and civil engineer in training Jesse Postnikoff from Urban Systems said it was the seventh year the event has run in the community.

“The short answer is it’s like a speed mentoring, as opposed to speed dating, event aimed at exposing high school students to multiple careers within their community,” Postnikoff explained.

“The intent is to show them that you don’t have to move away to a faraway centre like Vancouver, Calgary or Edmonton to have a rewarding career.”

This year, the event welcomed 33 mentors across 30 different professions. Around 25 students attended the event, many of which were female, though the organizers hope to host as many as 60 in the future.

The day included sessions for the students to talk to their chosen professionals as well as a lunch networking event.

“It gives people both one-on-one opportunities to meet the mentors or the professions that they knew about, learn more about how they got into it, what they do in a typical day,” Postnikoff said.

“Then also a freestyle lunch networking opportunity as well for other professionals and other students to kind of co-mingle and interact and network.”

Postnikoff added that the organizers try to use as many local businesses as possible. The event was catered by Cool Beans Catering and is usually hosted at the Lido.

Some professionals were lawyers, IT managers, dental hygienists, accountants, journalists, realtors, agrologists, early childhood educators and others.

If anyone is interested in becoming a mentor at a future event, likely held again next March, contact Postnikoff at jpostnik[email protected]. He said preference will be given to professions not already represented and those originating from Fort St. John.