JA of Central Illinois Announces the 6th Annual CareerSpark in Partnership with vFairs, From September 19 to December 31, 2022

CareerSpark will be a combination of an in-person career fair and an interactive virtual experience for local Grade 8 students.

East Peoria, IL – The Junior Achievement of Central Illinois & Greater Peoria Economic Development Council will host the 6th Annual CareerSpark hybrid career fair for middle school students in Central Illinois. The event will happen between September 19 through December 31 2022 and educators interested in accessing virtual materials can register here.

CareerSpark aims to transform career exploration for middle school students in Central Illinois. It brings together educators, students, and the top employers of the area. Students will be able to get directly in touch with employers and learn about the career clusters they are most interested in.

The in-person leg of the event is set to happen on October 5th and 6th 2022 at the Peoria Civic Center. Students will be able to gather and meet with local professionals and get hands-on knowledge for work-readiness. Planned activities will enable students to act-out real career responsibilities and visualize their future in the role. 

The virtual career fair platform, powered by vFairs, will provide students with useful resources, fun activities, videos, and documents. Students can make better educational decisions and plan their high school studies for a particular career path.

The resources available with the virtual and physical experiences are accompanied by the JA Inspire curriculum and will showcase the area’s most prominent career clusters. Attending students can explore career opportunities in innovation, healthcare, manufacturing, finance, technology, and more.

“Career exploration is incredibly important for middle school students. By eighth grade, we know that students are identifying the careers that they are interested in and those they don’t want to pursue. CareerSpark provides interactive activities to help drive students’ aspirations and expose them to our region’s critical careers,” said Chris Setti, CEO of the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council.

CareerSpark has curated useful experiences for over 22,700 students since 2017. They have the help of over 150 industry leaders and close to 1000 volunteers.

“We are fortunate to be part of such a generous, talented community that is willing to collaborate for an event of this scale. By leveraging partnerships with the business and education communities, we are able to connect students with local industries and employers in meaningful ways. Eighth grade is a critical time for this interaction and students will have yet another touchpoint to guide them in selecting their high school coursework, paving the way for higher education and fulfilling careers,” said Mary Pille, president of Junior Achievement of Central Illinois.

“vFairs is proud to provide an immersive virtual space for students to share resources and  information with innovative tools that are vital for their career growth and exploration opportunities,” said Muhammad Younas, CEO of vFairs.

Interested students can register for CareerSpark hybrid career fair here.

About Junior Achievement of Central Illinois

Junior Achievement of Central Illinois is dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. Their region covers 26 central Illinois counties including Peoria, Woodford, Tazewell, McLean, Logan, and Sangamon, and they are reaching more than 16,000 K-12th grade students per year. Learn more at centralillinois.ja.org

About Greater Peoria Economic Development Council 

The Greater Peoria Economic Development Council (GPEDC) is a regional economic development and planning organization serving five counties in Central Illinois: Logan, Mason, Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford). The Greater Peoria EDC exists to promote economic development in the region through its six core programs which include Business Attraction, Business Assistance, Workforce Solutions, Innovation and Startups, Rural Development, and the Greater Peoria Manufacturing Network. Guided by our nationally recognized comprehensive economic development strategy, the Greater Peoria EDC is committed to advancing the region’s economy by supporting business and talent development and attraction.

About vFairs

vFairs es una plataforma de eventos virtuales, híbridos y presenciales que ayuda a organizaciones de todos los tamaños, sectores y regiones a organizar eventos online memorables para lograr resultados empresariales reales. La plataforma virtual y la aplicación móvil ofrecen funciones versátiles y opciones de personalización. Además, cuentan con un servicio de atención al cliente excepcional, que recibe constantemente la máxima puntuación en sitios web independientes como G2 y Capterra. Por eso, las principales organizaciones de todo el mundo han elegido vFairs para organizar conferencias virtuales, ferias comerciales en línea, ferias de empleo, formación virtual y mucho más.