More than 200 students attend the Roanoke City Public Schools Career Fair

Roanoke, Virginia. – Roanoke City Public Schools students have had the opportunity to search for potential summer or even long-term jobs.

The second annual RCPS Works student job fair brought over 80 Roanoke Valley companies to give students the opportunity to learn about available jobs.

RCPS Works helps employers across the Roanoke Valley connect hard-working RCPS students for summer work and beyond.

Superintendent Verlita White wanted to give students the opportunity to learn and work, while helping local businesses that are still seeing some of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As a community, when we say ‘we are one,’ this is what it sounds like. Employers, our employees, our students, and our parents come together to create pathways and opportunities for our students,” White said.

Some of the companies at the job fair even had positions that were hiring students as young as 14.

All students who attended the job fair were greeted with advice on how to proceed with the interview process. Just going through the job search process, White said, is an experience in itself.

“We really believe that if it’s associated with those positive, productive things…it keeps them safe. It teaches them work ethic. I teach them responsibility. There are many skills, both hard and soft skills, that our students learn by having part-time jobs,” White said. .

This year’s fair also included transitional resources for students with disabilities.