Career expo offers CISE students inside look at in-demand jobs

Nearly 200 eighth graders from Cincinnati’s inner-city Catholic schools will step into the world of work at the CISE Career Expo “A Hero’s Journey” on Monday at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

The Nov. 24 event, hosted CISE, or Catholic Inner-city Schools Education, aims to introduce students to high-demand careers. They’ll have the chance to take part in hands-on demonstrations and ask questions of professionals from more than 30 local employers in fields ranging from advanced manufacturing and skilled trades to healthcare, public safety, information technology and civil service.

“Early exposure to the world of work helps students discover their strengths and expand their understanding of what is possible,” said Mari K. Thomas, who leads workforce and career development for CISE, which prepares students for college, career and life.

Overall, CISE supports 12 elementary schools and awards merit-based scholarships to students at the region’s Catholic high schools. 

“We want every student to leave this event feeling like the hero of their own story, capable and inspired to move toward their future,” Thomas continued.

A hands-on job fair

Students attending next week’s event will rotate through two floors of career stations and participate in a series of interactive, job-specific activities. Highlights include:

• Advanced manufacturing and engineering: Computer-aided design and manufacturing systems, VR simulations, Lego engineering challenges and demonstrations of “cobots,” which are robots designed to work safely alongside humans.
• Construction and skilled trades: Scissor lift and scaffolding demos, tool labs and PPE relays, with participation from Turner Construction, JD Rack, JB Steel, Duke Energy and ACI.
• Government, public safety and civil service: Fingerprinting and drone demonstrations from Cincinnati Police, fire extinguisher simulations from Cincinnati Fire and general career information from the City of Cincinnati, one of the region’s largest and most diverse employers.
• Health care – “From Sidelines to Recovery”: Students follow a simulated patient’s injury journey through emergency response, ER nursing, radiology, surgical technology, respiratory therapy and physical therapy, led by UC Health, Mercy McAuley, and other local partners.
• Information Technology: AI activities, cybersecurity challenges, coding stations, and mentoring from INTERalliance, Hope Ignites and the STEM Collaborative.

Participating schools include Corryville Catholic, Holy Family, Romero Academy at Resurrection, St. Boniface, St. Cecilia, St. Francis de Sales, St. Francis Seraph, St. Lawrence, St. Teresa of Avila and St. William.

For many of those students, this event will mark their first exposure to these career paths. Students who want more information or to visit can find more information on CISE’s website.

“This event gives students the chance to explore real tools, technologies, and career paths they may have never encountered,” said Phil McHugh, CISE executive director. “Experiences like this can change how students see their abilities and their future.”