Harckham Co-Hosts Career & Trade Union Expo at Peekskill High School

Peekskill, NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham co-hosted a Career & Trade Union Expo at Peekskill High School on Wednesday, Apr. 9 that was attended by more than 200 students. 

The goal of the career expo was to introduce and connect high school juniors and seniors with valuable resources and job opportunities in various fields that don't require a college education, including jobs in the construction and HVAC trades, civil service, cosmetic industry and transportation sector, as well as military, first responder and law enforcement careers.

“The final years of high school are an important juncture in the lives of young people, a time where they have to start making important decisions about pursuing a career or furthering their education,” said Harckham. “This career and trade expo gave Peekskill students a valuable opportunity to see what kinds of options are out there other than heading straight to college. It also provides an understanding of what necessary skills and education are required in many different fields of employment, as well as the earning potential and avenues for career growth that are available. I thank all the participants for making this event such a success.”

Deserving special thanks for helping to put the expo together, Harckham said, were Peekskill Deputy Mayor Patricia Riley and Peekskill resident Michelle Keller, plus Jenna Ferris and Christine Buckman from the Peekskill schools. 

Harckham co-hosted the Career & Trade Union Expo in partnership with the Peekskill City School District and the City of Peekskill. More than 40 vendors, which included 10 different local trade unions, healthcare organizations, New York State agencies and more—MTA / Metro North, Con Edison, Peekskill Parks and Recreation, Westchester Community College, Opengate, Inc., Universal Technical Institute, New Era Creative Space, CP Unlimited and Empire Training Center for the Arts, for example. 

Deserving special thanks for helping to put the expo together, Harckham said, were Peekskill Deputy Mayor Patricia Riley and Peekskill resident Michelle Keller, plus Christine Buckman from the Peekskill schools. 

Peekskill High School Principal Jenna Ferris said, “We appreciate all of the participants that contributed to our annual Career Expo. This event is always a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with our community and expose our students to the numerous pathways available to them as they explore their post-secondary options.”

LinkedIn recently noted that participation in a career fair is a “win-win-win”: businesses and organizations can give back to the community, promote themselves and find potential future employees, while students get to explore career options that they might be interested in, learn about opportunities they may not be aware of, and learn the value of networking.

Peekskill Deputy Mayor Riley said, “I’d like to thank the Peekskill City School District for including the trades in their college and career fairs. These union trade and career fairs are very important for our youth. They educate and inform students that there are other opportunities besides college, if that is not where their interest lies.” 

Michelle Keller, Peekskill resident and labor advocate, said, “The growth of a nation is ensured by educating and supporting our next generation to master extraordinary things that we can all be proud of and support in our community.” 

Christine Buckman, a Special Education Department Leader and Transition Specialist in the Peekskill City School District, said, “It is especially important that schools not only prepare students to be college and career ready, but also provide opportunities for them to learn about the options available to them once they graduate from high school. We appreciate the support from our community and participants and look forward to collaborating on more events like this in the future.”