Pathfinder Tech Career Night produces record turnoutDate: 12/18/2023 BELCHERTOWN — The Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical School Committee met on Dec. 13 to hear about the positive feedback from its Career Night.
Pathfinder hosted its Career Night on Dec. 6 from 6-8 p.m. and Superintendent Eric Duda discussed the turnout.
“We had a great turnout with just over 700 people. We haven’t had a number quite that big in six years. Great turnout, great evening,” Duda added.
Career Night included miniature displays of the 16 programs and the school was wide open to explore.
The different vocational course that Pathfinder Tech offers are advanced manufacturing, automotive technology, business technology, CAD, carpentry, collision repair, cosmetology, culinary arts, electrical, electronic technology, health assisting, horticulture, hospitality management, heating ventilation air conditioning and refrigeration, programming and web development, plumbing and cooperative education program.
According to Duda the layout of the event also changed by having academics, student activities and athletics all set up in the gymnasium in horseshoe shape.
Duda said, “Sort of the highlight for the launch of our admissions season is Career Night. It’s a night where we invite all families, committee members are allowed to attend as well, all families from our nine member town to come check us out.”
Admissions opened on Dec. 6 and priority applications will stay open until Feb. 1, 2024.
“We had a little bit of a change in some of our towns and changing circumstances, so we approached our outreach a little different and we ended up doing some radio advertisements and direct mailers in certain towns and we were targeting what we really needed to,” Duda added.
The event is student run and there were over 100 students who volunteered to help at the event.
“If you walked into a program like automotives, the teachers were there to say hello and answer any questions, but the kids were running little stations everywhere.”
Pathfinder School Committee member Lorraine Alves said she was also impressed with Career Night.
“The current students who were at the displays were some of our student ambassadors and they did an outstanding job explaining and being in touch with whatever was going on. There were nice mock presentations that the kids were doing,” Alves said.
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