Fairgrounds career expo drew about 400 students; commissioners praised outreach

County staff and organizers told the Morrow County Board of Commissioners that a career expo held at the county fairgrounds drew strong participation from schools, local employers and county agencies.

An event organizer summarized the day: “About a little over 40 volunteers. All the schools came. We had about 400 kiddos,” and said the event included five career-path tracks — public service, health care, technology, skilled trades and agriculture — and featured county agencies including the engineer’s office, the sheriff’s office, EMS and probation.

Why it matters: the expo connects ninth-grade students with local employers and county programs, offering alternatives to a four-year college route and promoting local cadet and trades programs. Event organizers said they plan to survey guidance counselors and participating businesses to gather feedback for future events.

Organizers and commissioners noted the event went smoothly overall, with one minor medical incident (a student fainting) handled on site. Staff also said some sponsors filled in for absent presenters and that water supply ran short during the day, both items organizers will address for next year.

Additional context from the meeting: commissioners also heard that staff are conducting a pre-bid walkthrough next Wednesday for a facilities project after a previous bid solicitation received no offers, and that the county has interviews scheduled to fill a custodial position.

Next steps: organizers will distribute surveys to guidance counselors and participating businesses to assess changes for the next expo; county staff will continue the pre-bid process for the facilities contract and complete hiring steps for the custodial position.