In a collaborative effort to help students build careers locally, Wayne State University joined with the Wayne County government this week to sponsor the Wayne County Government Career Fair on the university’s campus.
Sponsored jointly by WSU’s Division of Government and Community Affairs, the university’s Career Services division and the county's Department of Personnel and Human Resources, the event welcomed graduating seniors and alumni eager to explore career opportunities in government within Wayne County. Attendees had the opportunity to take part in on-site interviews, a feature aimed at filling immediate positions within the county. The career fair was held in the Student Center Building.
“[This event] is important for students and graduating seniors because we want them to be exposed to opportunities within Wayne County,” said Shawn Pewitt, director of Career Services at WSU. “Our main career fair is in October so we usually have 90 employers around that time. We always try to offer opportunities to our students and our alumni to engage in networking with employers to find opportunities.”
Wayne County officials said they have been challenged recently to fill numerous job vacancies.
“Since the Great Resignation, Wayne County has been dealing with trying to recruit and retain,” explained Derick Coley, Wayne County director of administration for public services. “We had to deal with a lot of vacancies, we really had to come to the realization we have to establish a relationship where we can draw those candidates for those positions.”
Coley highlighted the attractiveness of government jobs during economic downturns: "Government jobs usually ride out recessions because services are more in demand when the economy faces a downturn."
The event showcased a variety of available positions in county government, from assistant prosecutor to electrician, from engineer to juvenile detention specialist, and much more.
Miriam Moussa, a 20-year-old junior at WSU, expressed hopefulness about securing employment as she looks ahead to attending law school in the future.
“I decided to come just to see if there will be any of the job experiences I could get,” she said. “I wanted to see if there were any experiences outside of the college field. I major in political science, and I am hoping to go to law school. I was really scared coming in. I would tell others to just walk in and see what you can find.”
Stacie Clayton, director of community affairs at Wayne State, shared her excitement about the second career fair of the year, highlighting the promising opportunities it offers for students.
"Providing a college-to-career pathway for our students,” said Clayton, “is paramount to ensuring their future success and having a positive impact on the community.”