WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — The job market for the Class of 2023 is expected to be a robust one. Employer participation at Pennsylvania College of Technology’s recent Spring Career Fair reflected that positive projection.
More than 230 companies, offering thousands of jobs and internships in an array of fields, met with 1,127 students throughout the daylong event, split between the college’s Bardo Gymnasium and Field House. An additional 280 employers were on the waiting list. “The Career Fair sold out in less than four hours after we opened registration on Jan. 9. That’s the fastest we’ve filled all the spaces,” said Stacey L. Girven, career and alumni events manager. “Obviously, there is great competition for our students and their real-world-ready skills.”
Nationwide, employers plan to hire 14.7% more new college graduates from the Class of 2023 than they did from the Class of 2022, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook 2023 Report.
Companies — ranging from regional entities to global Fortune 500 corporations — attended the Penn College Spring Career Fair, offering opportunities aligned with the institution’s hands-on innovative majors in the schools of Engineering Technologies; Nursing and Health Sciences; and Business, Arts and Sciences.
“We love Penn College students. They hit the ground running. Going into the workforce for them is almost seamless. We put a lot of time and effort into Penn College and their students to help our company grow,” said Sean Stabler, vice president of operations and innovation at Sekisui Kydex.
The Corporate Tomorrow Maker innovates and creates sustainable thermoplastic material solutions. Stabler, a 2006 alumnus with a degree in plastics and polymer engineering technology, estimated there are 15 Penn College alumni working for Sekisui Kydex.
“Today, we’ve had a really good turnout from students in plastics, IT and automation,” Stabler said.
Like Stabler, Bryan Harlacker was one of about 100 alums who returned to campus representing employers. The 2000 grad is a process engineer at Jabil Healthcare, a medical equipment manufacturing company and a Corporate Tomorrow Maker.
“We love Penn College students because of the hands-on nature that they come to the workplace with,” said Harlacker, who earned a manufacturing engineering technology degree. “We’re a very big, high-tech machine shop. We need kids who have experienced that equipment. Penn College students know exactly what they’re doing right from day one. That’s what sets Penn College apart.”
Harlacker’s recruitment wish list included machining, manufacturing and engineering students.
“Students majoring in welding, construction management, diesel technology, electrical technology, heavy construction equipment technology and manufacturing engineering technology seemed to be in particularly high demand,” Girven said. “But there were tremendous opportunities for all of our tomorrow makers.”
Tomorrow makers like senior Christine A. Limbert, of Curwensville, majoring in building science and sustainable design. Last year, she secured a summer internship at the Career Fair. She hoped this event will result in interviews for full-time jobs. “I’m so thankful that Penn College has the Career Fair for us,” she said. “I recommend doing all the research you can on companies you’re interested in. The more you know about an employer, it shows you are passionate about wanting to be part of their company.”
Sophomore Michael N. Martinetti, of Saylorsburg, followed that advice. The engineering design technology student researched 10 companies in his quest to secure an internship from the Career Fair for the second year in a row.
“I have some talking points,” he said. “If they’ve done a project that I like, I’ll talk about that. It makes you look more interested. It’s an awesome opportunity to get an internship or a job.” Freshman Timothy R. Maguschak, of Weatherly, majoring in construction management, shared that sentiment. “This is fantastic. Penn College is bringing the jobs here,” he said. Maguschak already has an internship for this summer, so he was networking for the following year. “Internships give you more exposure and really help you figure out what you want to do after you graduate,” he said.
Often an internship will lead to a full-time position. The 2022 Internship and Co-op Survey Report from NACE found that 51.8% of eligible interns were converted into full-time employees.
“We love to look for full-time employees here, but what we’re finding is that most of the kids who are about to graduate from Penn College already have jobs lined up,” Harlacker said. “What we’re trying to do is generate that pipeline by getting interns and then hiring them full time.”
Seventeen companies returned to campus the day after the Career Fair to interview 98 students for internships and full-time positions. Those employers included Fronius International, a Corporate Tomorrow Maker that specializes in welding technology, photovoltaics and battery charging technology.
“We extended our stay to make sure we have a good grasp of the candidates,” said Vlad Tudorache, national segment manager for Fronius. “Some Penn College graduates are working in my department, and I’ve had a very good experience with them. That’s why I decided to come to the Career Fair.”
“The Career Fair is a vivid example of why Penn College has an overall graduate placement rate of 96%,” said Shelley L. Moore, senior director of the Center for Career Design. “The tremendous mutual interest between employers and students is a testament to the college’s commitment to applied technology education.”
Following spring break, the college will host alternative on-campus recruitment opportunities so companies on the Career Fair waitlist can meet with students.
“We anticipate that many employers and students will take advantage of those additional opportunities,” Moore said.
Penn College’s next Career Fair will be in October. For information on Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.