Round table talks highlight expo

Arthurian Legend will take 128 steps into Culpeper Nov. 12 at the Germanna’s Daniel Technology Center.

King Arthur’s legend made famous the concept of the round table where his Knights had equal place and opportunity in their mission of 12th Century leadership.

Many business leaders in Culpeper will have an opportunity to talk with the Culpeper County High School and Eastern View High School juniors and seniors at the Business Career Expo on Nov. 12.

The students will meet with four of the 32 participating businesses during 10-minute sessions. Our business will meet with the four sets of eight students for each class, amounting to a total of 128 “round table” discussions with our students on a range of business areas including, technology, medical, agriculture, entrepreneurship, green business, veterinary business, government, and many others.

Our business leaders have been very impressed with the professional approach of the students in years past. That is why we choose Germanna’s DTC this year. We felt that this would provide additional atmosphere to elevate the way students approach the job search. Being in a college setting offers a strong motivation to focus on educational needs with respect to job opportunities. We decided to hold the expo in the fall in order to give the students more motivation to focus on their studies throughout the winter and spring. Academics take on more meaning when there is a connection between educational performance and job requirements.

In addition, the Career Expo is a way for business leaders to answer questions about the job market and opportunities in Culpeper in the coming years. As many of the students consider higher education options — our businesses will be able to share requirements and strategies for students that are interested in working for local companies during the summer as interns and after college graduation.

There are world-class companies in Culpeper. We are very fortunate that we have a partnership between the schools and the business community that actively invests in our students together as a team.

The Career Expo is a continuation of the Business, Industry, and Education Day held each year in August introducing the teachers to the local businesses. We further the partnership into the winter and spring with the award-winning program E Squared — Entrepreneurial Energy.

Career Partners, Inc., The Culpeper Chamber of Commerce, and the Career and Technical Department for the Culpeper County School System continue to work together to provide opportunities for students, educators, and business to work toward educational excellence for our most valuable resource — our students.

There is gold in the river of economic turbulence. Investing in our students today will produce the gold of excellent community leadership for tomorrow. If you are a business and interested in being one of the 32 businesses at the “Round Table” — go to CulpeperChamber.com and register for the event, or call the Chamber office at 825-8628.