Those in attendance received name tags color coded by areas of study or interest including industrial technology, health science, business, liberal arts and STEM, to help them best match with employers to meet their needs.

Local employer, CJ Bio America, which has a plant west of Fort Dodge, had a career match for just about any area of interest.

“We have positions for ag majors, research and development which is great for biology majors, skilled jobs, internships and production,” said Katelyn Fremuth, a human resource recruiter at CJ Bio America. “That’s why we always come here, we have something that can accommodate every color of tag here today, and the higher their education the higher the pay.”

Other employers who regularly attend Iowa Central’s career fairs said they have had good luck bringing employees with Iowa Central ties on board in their organizations.

Representatives from Delkor Systems traveled from Arden Hills, Minnesota, to attend the career fair. The company creates case packaging equipment for the food industry and presently employs Iowa Central graduates.

“We’re looking for automation and electrical techs today,” said Tim Przybilla, a production manager with Delkor. “We have had some great Iowa Central graduates working for us and that is why we came back.”

Recruiters from Cherokee Regional Medical Center also appreciate the career fair and attend both in the spring and fall.

“We have a nurse intern program and got three interns out of the last career fair here,” representatives from CRMC said. “We usually do really well here, it is one of our favorite career events.”

First year nursing students were also busy learning and making connections for their future careers at the fair. Karissa Taylor and Makayla Nelson had just stopped by the Cherokee Regional Medical Center table to hear more about the nurse internships.

“We’re asking all of the health care stations questions,” said Taylor. “It’s nice to be able to get our faces out there and learn about different job opportunities, even in our first semester.”

“I’ve made a lot of connections,” said Nelson. “There are so many different health facilities in Iowa, and they are all a little different. There are a lot of opportunities out there.”

Eric Oberg, director of Career Services at Iowa Central, said the day went well with a steady flow of students and job seekers coming through the doors despite the weather conditions.

The Spring Career Fair is one of two held on campus each year, with a Fall Career Fair held each October.