Many graduating Fort Smith students are meeting with prospective employers today during “Draft Day” at the Peak Innovation Center. The day is designed to deliberately match students with participating companies. Andrew Parker, executive director of “Be Pro, Be Proud”, the state organization overseeing Draft Day, said soon-to-be graduates will be meeting with recruiters based on matching interests and skill sets:
"At the same time, an underclass population will be through the expo space, which will occupy every corner of the area and thoroughfares throughout the building," Parker said. "And there will be recruiters in those spaces to talk with underclassmen and other seniors who are interviewing about what those companies provide."
Gary Udouj, director of career education and district innovation with Fort Smith Public Schools, said Draft Day is a precursor to Signing Day in May, organized by the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce.
"We will have this large event," Udouj said. "They do it each year this will be the fifth or sixth year they've done the signing day and it is treated with the respect that we give to student athletes signing with college sporting teams. We make a big deal about it. The students have t-shirts and are literally brought up on stage in front of hundreds of people to sign with a company they interviewed with."
There are nine Draft Days hosted across the state between now and May 1. Andrew Parker said participating companies recruiting students include manufacturers, transportation companies, health care providers and general contractors. Udouj said the event falls in line with the Peak Center’s goal of connecting students with careers that start in middle school grades.
"And we're not asking them to know what they want to do for the rest of their lives," Udouj said. "We are going to them, pointing them to more options they might not realize they have, and then this type of event is really just perfect because as the students are finishing their senior year, we're now connecting them with employers. We're also with post-secondary institutions where they might continue their training."
