The number of employers at Pennsylvania College of Technology’s recent Career Fair reflected the strong nationwide employment outlook for the Class of 2016.
A school-record 214 companies participated in the recent Career Fair at the college’s main campus and Lumley Aviation Center. Those employers offered 2,500-plus job and internship opportunities for students from all six of the college’s academic schools.
“The consistent feedback I received this year is that there are not enough students in many of our majors to fill the needs of our employers,” said Erin S. Shultz, coordinator of career development at Penn College. “The shortage speaks to the growing demand for our students in a strengthening job market.”
A National Association of Colleges and Employers survey revealed that employers expect to hire 11 percent more new college graduates from the Class of 2016. According to that same survey, 42 percent of employers characterized the job market for this year’s graduates as “very good or excellent.”
Two years ago, just 18 percent of employers shared such a positive view.
More than 1,100 students attended the Career Fair, which featured 18 Fortune 500 companies. Shultz said majors in particularly high demand include construction management, building automation technology, manufacturing engineering technology, plastics and polymer engineering technology, diesel technology, and heavy construction equipment technology.
“Companies discovered that many students in these and other majors already have jobs secured upon graduation,” Shultz said. “We offer recession-proof, technology-focused degrees, so there is always demand for our students. When the job market is good, that demand intensifies to the point where many of our students can pick from multiple employment offers.”
As a national leader in applied technology education, Penn College boasts a 96-percent graduate placement rate. Self-reported figures by recent graduates working full time in a field related to their degree show average starting salaries of $52,389 for baccalaureate students and $39,027 for associate-degree majors.
The college’s next Career Fair for its students and alumni will be Oct. 18.
For information about Penn College, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.
A school-record 214 companies participated in the recent Career Fair at the college’s main campus and Lumley Aviation Center. Those employers offered 2,500-plus job and internship opportunities for students from all six of the college’s academic schools.
“The consistent feedback I received this year is that there are not enough students in many of our majors to fill the needs of our employers,” said Erin S. Shultz, coordinator of career development at Penn College. “The shortage speaks to the growing demand for our students in a strengthening job market.”
A National Association of Colleges and Employers survey revealed that employers expect to hire 11 percent more new college graduates from the Class of 2016. According to that same survey, 42 percent of employers characterized the job market for this year’s graduates as “very good or excellent.”Two years ago, just 18 percent of employers shared such a positive view.
More than 1,100 students attended the Career Fair, which featured 18 Fortune 500 companies. Shultz said majors in particularly high demand include construction management, building automation technology, manufacturing engineering technology, plastics and polymer engineering technology, diesel technology, and heavy construction equipment technology.
“Companies discovered that many students in these and other majors already have jobs secured upon graduation,” Shultz said. “We offer recession-proof, technology-focused degrees, so there is always demand for our students. When the job market is good, that demand intensifies to the point where many of our students can pick from multiple employment offers.”As a national leader in applied technology education, Penn College boasts a 96-percent graduate placement rate. Self-reported figures by recent graduates working full time in a field related to their degree show average starting salaries of $52,389 for baccalaureate students and $39,027 for associate-degree majors.
The college’s next Career Fair for its students and alumni will be Oct. 18.
For information about Penn College, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.
Photos by Zachery T. Kane, student photographer