York University partnered with ​York County Development Corporation (YCDC) to provide students with a Career Fair this fall. On November 15, area employers gathered on the York University campus to network with current students, as well as promote any job openings that they had. Taking place in the upstairs rooms of the Mackey Center, numerous students gathered to see what kind of opportunities awaited them in the community.
 
“Our goal by coordinating this event is to let students know about the opportunities that they can find here in York County,” shared Emily Perry, Development Coordinator for the YCDC. “By providing them with the chance to meet area employers and see all of the potential careers they can find locally, we hope that they are able to more easily make the decision to call this their post-graduation home.” 

Employers that were in attendance represented a multitude of fields from medical to engineering, and everything in between. This included City of York, Department of Health and Human Services, Epworth Village, Corteva Agriscience, Cyclonaire, York County Communications, York General, Advance Services Inc., Central Valley Ag, Collins Aerospace, Henderson State Bank, Region V Services, Klute Inc., Nebraska Army National Guard, Nutrition Services.

Jared Stark, vice president for advancement, says that connecting students with the community feels like the right thing to do. "It was a pleasure to have local businesses on our campus. When a student comes to York University and then can get connected in the local job market in any fashion, it is a fulfillment of our civic purpose. At present we have students interning at local businesses and have graduates filling full-time positions here in York County and it just feels right. We hope this event creates connections so our students can make York, Nebraska their permanent home rather than just a temporary stop," Stark stated.

Anthony Hodson, a junior from Fresno, California said “"Having the opportunity to have my eyes opened to the many careers available to me right here in York was amazing. I was able to ask many questions and network with many business leaders and professionals. The career fair allowed me to gain a better understanding of what is available to me now and after graduation."
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YCDC and York University look forward to providing this event for years to come. Perry went on to say “We look forward to continuing to connect current students with York County. We want these students to know that they are valuable members of the community, and we want them here – we would love for them to stay.”