BAY MINETTE, Alabama — The North Baldwin Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the Baldwin County Board of Education sponsored the 2nd Annual Baldwin County High School Career Horizon Expo, recently in the school gymnasium.

Over 40 vendors including local business and industry, the Alabama State Department of Labor, several state colleges, and the North Baldwin Center for Technology, came to interface with BCHS students and discuss current employment skill, ability, education, and behavioral requirements for successful future employment.

The North Baldwin Chamber’s Young Professional Association again hosted the event as part of its ongoing workforce development initiative. To that end, the intent for the expo is to cultivate a better prepared, work-ready community in north Baldwin and improve the graduation rates at Baldwin County High School (BCHS). 

 At the outset of the expo, students received a passport for their trip to the expo. Students were required to visit and have their passport stamped by four vendors during the trip to be eligible to enter a drawing.  This year the Young Professionals provided an Android Lenovo Tablet for the drawing.

Students also had an opportunity to visit Alabama’s Mobile Career Center bus during the event to learn more about employment services in the State of Alabama. Participating vendors were asked to provide current work place and industry information for students, to include but not limited to, realistic entry-level starting wages and salaries; hiring requirements and criteria — diplomas, certificates and qualifications, desired skills, knowledge, and abilities, performance expectations and current and future workforce requirements.

But most importantly, we asked that vendors reinforce the importance of graduating high school, selecting a vocation or profession and gaining education and certification.