High School High Tech College and Career Fair to be held

Published 12:00 am Friday, February 21, 2020

The High School High Tech College and Career Fair is scheduled for Thursday, March 12, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Dalton Convention Center.

The Whitfield County High School High Tech Program is a partnership between the Georgia Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities Inc., the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency and Whitfield County Schools. The Georgia Committee administers the statewide High School High Tech program. The program is a community-based initiative providing high school juniors and seniors who have disabilities a link to academic and career-development experiences enabling them to meet the workforce demands of the 21st century.

The focus of the program is to provide information, programs and training designed to enhance equal employment opportunities for youth with all types of disabilities, reduce the dropout rate, empower the youth to enter technological careers and facilitate a successful transition to postsecondary education or gainful employment. The initiative provides many transition services for in school youth with disabilities who are interested in work or postsecondary education so that they are more prepared for life after high school.

Approximately 150 students from Whitfield, Murray, Walker, Fannin and Gilmer counties who are in the program are expected to attend the College and Career Fair. Approximately 30 or more employers and postsecondary institutions will be present to share information about their business or college. Many of the employers and postsecondary institutions participating in this event also partner with the program to provide transition activities throughout the year, such as industry and postsecondary tours.

The Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia is assisting with sponsoring this event. The Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia awards competitive community grants from its funds to local, qualified organizations in focus areas including the arts and culture, civics, education, social services, historic preservation and environmental. Grant awards are usually directed to organizations serving one of their three active communities (Whitfield, Bartow and Gordon counties).