Miami County - Educational Service Center

On September 22, 8th graders from districts all over Miami County stormed the fairgrounds for the yearly "Made in Miami County" career exploration event. Made in Miami County introduces students to many different occupations within 14 distinct "career clusters." Career clusters are groupings of occupations and industries based on shared foundational knowledge, technical skills, and job functions.

The highlight of this event is always the astoundingly creative and engaging booths that local business and organizational partners set up to show off their occupations and what a day on the job entails. The demonstrations that these businesses put on with just an average booth space are remarkable! With more than 40 businesses attending, participating students had a plethora of future careers to discover.

A big hit among students was the Troy Fire Department's fire hose demonstration; pictured are two students teaming up to knock down traffic cones with the large hose:

At the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology's booth, instructors gave students hands-on experience with equipment used daily in the trade. The simulation required each student to weld a specific distance, providing instant feedback and a grade on their accuracy and quality. The student pictured scored a 92%—rather impressive for a first-timer!

Along with local businesses, the Upper Valley Career Center (UVCC) and Miami Valley Career Technology Center (MVCTC) were represented by current educators from those institutions. Students in Miami County can elect to attend one of these two technical schools upon entering their junior year, where, after completion of their program, they can enter directly into the workforce. UVCC and MVCTC used their booths to give students a glimpse into the many career paths their programs support.

We want to extend a massive thank you to each local school district that participated, and especially to the local businesses that took time to set up a booth and educate our county's future workforce. As a community, we can rest assured that the future of Miami County is in good hands with these motivated 8th graders.

The event itself was coordinated by the Troy Area Chamber of Commerce, Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce, Tipp City Chamber of Commerce, and the Miami County Educational Service Center.