Live sessions for the second annual ME Virtual Career Fair will begin on Tuesday, March 22 and will include 130 presentations for more than 10,000 students across the state. The Community Coordinators Collaborative (C3), an organization of educators working to support students with career exploration, organized the event in partnership with the Maine Department of Education and the Association of Computer Technology Educators of Maine (ACTEM).  

The event will commence on Monday with a series of pre-recorded messages from keynote speakers, including Commissioner of Education Pender Makin, Mark McInerney of the Center for Workforce Research and Information, Cary Olson Cartwright, Unum’s Assistant Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility, and David Herring, Executive Director of the Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment. The fair will continue throughout the week, offering hundreds of live sessions and featuring a vast array of businesses and organizations from different industries.

“The virtual career fair has allowed us to expand access and to expose students to the many diverse professions in Maine,” said Sheree Inman, co-chair of the ME Virtual Career Fair.  “We have schools from Presque Isle to Kittery participating and are excited to introduce them to the wealth of opportunities available in their home state.  This year, we have more than 100 presenters including trades professionals, entrepreneurs, artists, and scientists such as Maine’s celebrated NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir.  The presenters are eager to share their experience and proud of what Maine has to offer.”  

“Growing up in Aroostook County, I spent countless hours outdoors.  It was the natural setting of Maine that inspired me to become an explorer,” said NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir.  “The landscape sparked my curiosity to learn more about the world around me.  I continue to feel a strong connection to Maine and am excited to share my story and hopefully inspire other young people from the state to explore careers in science.”

“The Jackson Laboratory is one of the largest non-profit employers in Maine and is always seeking to hire people who are motivated by our biomedical mission and have an affinity for this state. Maine high school students are the perfect audience to learn more about the many different types of work we offer,” said Michael McKernan, director of government and community relations at Jackson Laboratory.  “It’s critical that employers interface with students and schools as often as possible, to share information about the opportunities that exist in the state.  It’s surprising how even a short interaction might change a student’s outlook or open their eyes to a new possibility. The Maine business community can’t afford to miss those opportunities”.

Financial assistance is available to schools through the generous support of Unum, Bath Iron Works, and many other local businesses.