Belle Vernon Area School District Superintendent Kenneth Williams is looking for a few good men and women interested in education. And he is hardly alone.
“School districts have been struggling with finding high-caliber candidates to fill positions for quite some time,” Williams said.
With that in mind, the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit will host its first-ever April 20 public education fair at Westmoreland County Community College’s Youngwood campus.
It will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the campus’s Student Achievement Center at 145 Pavilion Lane. Attendees will be able to speak with school district leaders and education partners like Bloomboard, Invesco, Fagan Supply, Kades Margolis, the Pennsylvania State Education Association and others.
“Westmoreland County is an amazing place to live, and the quality of the schools is outstanding,” Williams said. “This is an opportunity that’s long overdue in the county.”
The event is open to anyone considering a career in education or currently working in the field. Open positions at several school districts include custodial/maintenance, classroom assistants, personal care assistants and teaching professionals.
WIU Executive Director Jason Conway said the goal is to “expose our county citizens to the joys and benefits of having an educational career, and to expose out-of-county applicants to the benefits of living, working and raising a family in Westmoreland County.”
The fair will also feature several seminars touching on different aspects of education including social media tips and tricks, open education resources, developing an effective resume, classroom management and more.
Williams said he hopes the fair will encourage local students seeking an education career to stay in the county.
“It’s important for talented pre-service teachers to look for opportunities here at home,” he said. “The program will certainly expand and we’re already looking at additions for future years.”
Pre-register online at WIU7.org/careerfair. Those who pre-register will also be entered into a drawing to win an iPad tablet.
