The Woodstock of Career Fairs

APS event attracts students, potential employers with an eye on options – and the future.

It’s the Woodstock of Career Fairs – and it rocks for hundreds of APS students eager to explore their futures after high school.

The APS Apprenticeship Council’s High School Grades 2 Skilled Trades Fair continues to attract attention – a reflection of both the needs of employers in Albuquerque for new talent and the desire of the district to help its high school students get a head start on career readiness.

George Kerr, the APS Work-Based Learning Coordinator, says between 700 and 1,000 high school students will flock to the Berna Facio Professional Development Center on March 25 to attend the fair, which also will be populated by employers and industries eager to find candidates for their future workforce.

“It started strictly as trades, but now it’s morphed into other avenues,” says Kerr. 

Attendees are predominantly APS upperclassmen, though the event has now created enough buzz that students from nearby districts – Rio Rancho and Los Lunas, to name two – are expected to attend.

Employment fields are varied, ranging from automotive to medical to construction and many more. Kerr says organizers hope to have some industry partners provide demonstrations that will allow students hands-on activities both inside the Berna Facio Center and in its parking lot.

“Our students have overwhelmingly indicated over the past two years with their feedback of the event that they would like to have more outdoor sponsors and activities,” Kerr says.

Employers in Albuquerque have longed for a way to connect with students; the Trades Fair gives them a chance to meet and educate students about what it takes to succeed in their fields. Many industries note that certified specialists in their fields now make excellent wages. They also have a variety of job opportunities, Kerr noted.

“There are a lot of irons in the fire for giving students experiences,” he says. “You can find what you like to do within a construction company; there are all kinds of jobs – in offices, accounting and payroll.”

Kerr says organizers are looking for a few more industry partners to attend the fair. He notes they’re likely to find eager students who are beginning to explore their career and college options – part of APS’ Goal 3.

“Each year,” he says, “we hear at least one comment from a student who says, `I think I’m going to change my mind about a career’ because they’ve found something interesting.”

He’s backed by Hodaka Forster, a 2024 La Cueva High School graduate who attended the fair in 2023. He recalls talking to representatives at their booths, hearing about internship programs, even climbing inside a fire truck to take pictures and sign up for a possible prize.

“Just knowing about the opportunities could broaden your mindset,” says Forster, a University of New Mexico freshman who’s also in an internship program at APS. “Even if you’re super passionate about business, it’s nice to look at opportunities. You learn you have options.”