5th Annual Made In DeKalb Expo Success
February 17, 2017 | Diana Goss
The Fifth Annual Made In DeKalb (MID) Expo was a huge success yesterday as over 1,800 students were able to meet the industries in DeKalb County Alabama. 15 of the 16 Career Clusters were represented by 74 participating vendors such as transportation, logistics, construction, engineering, agriculture, tourism, mechanics, cosmetology, healthcare, and the media met their future workforce.

“It was good to meet the local students,” said Skip Wilson VP of Bailey Bridges. “It was also helpful to us to let [the students] know there are jobs ready for them when they graduate. A student we met in a past MID came to work for us after graduation. And just yesterday, a senior in Geraldine interested in becoming a welder wants to come to work for us when he graduates.”

Other industries collected strong interest from the students. According to Jonathan Walker, Heil Environmental had direct contact with over 160 students interested in their Environmental Solutions Group Apprenticeship Program.

But it was also a powerful day for the students themselves. Nick Smith worked a booth for the culinary program of Fort Payne High School. “I am grateful to be given this opportunity to represent my dream job and what I want to do when I get out of High School.” He graduates this year. FPHS culinary class hand decorated homemade sugar cookies to give out to all the students during the expo. The cookies were a delicious huge hit.

Gerald Nix from the Alabama Department of Labor said he was grateful for the “opportunity to attend the Made In DeKalb Expo. Not only did I have some good conversations with the students but I was able to make some professional contacts as well. We look forward to future years attending the Expo.”

Ninth and twelfth grade students from Geraldine, Valley Head, Plainview, Crossville, Collinsville, Fyffe, Ider, Sylvania, Fort Payne City, Cornerstone Christian Academy, and homeschoolers participated.