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Wilkes students get to know veterans at Heroes Brunch

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Search for missing Nanticoke man suspended until weekend

<p>PLAINS TWP. &#8212; More than 950 students took turns working their way through a cafeteria crammed with 66 employers, agencies and representatives from other post-high school opportunities at Wilkes-Barre Area Career &amp; Technical Center&#8217;s third annual &#8220;Career Exploration Day&#8221; on Tuesday. It was, organizer David Joyce said with a hint of pride, the maximum the place could handle. </p><p>&#8220;Everyone we called to invite said yes,&#8221; Joyce, the school&#8217;s culinary arts teacher, said of the room packed with representatives from military branches, service agencies, companies and corporations. The CTC offers 28 &#8220;shops,&#8221; or training programs in occupational fields, and the goal is to get representatives from businesses in each of those fields.</p><p>&#8220;The kids graduate June 2. We want them to think about what they will do June 3.&#8221;</p><p>Students were given an incentive to visit at least four employers: Fill a form with the answers to the same six questions from each visit, and enter for a chance to win an iPad.</p><p>&#8220;We want them to explore career opportunities available in their backyard,&#8221; said event coordinator Brandi Bartush, from the Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce. &#8220;And we want the employers to talk about their passion for their jobs.&#8221;</p><p>Along with the Chamber and the CTC, the Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board Inc. helped with the event, as did Pennsylvania CareerLink, which offered students a chance to take a computerized assessment to gauge their own interests and abilities.</p><p>Walking around the floor in his culinary chef&#8217;s garb, CTC junior Gino Martin said he felt the event was worth his time, singling out his two favorite stops so far.</p><p>&#8220;I really enjoyed talking to the people at King&#8217;s College,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We talked a lot about sports.&#8221;</p><p>The other favorite: &#8220;The National Guard.&#8221;</p><p>Martin conceded those are two pretty divergent choices, but then, he&#8217;s still up in the air about his options. That white chef&#8217;s coat? Despite enrolling in the two-year program, he&#8217;s not sure he yearns to be a chef.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a backup option.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Wilkes-Barre Area CTC students Gino Martin and Alejendro Arzola, a junior and sophmore respectively, speak with a representitive from Metz Culinary Management, of Dallas, during a career fair Tuesday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_TTL111517careers2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wilkes-Barre Area CTC students Gino Martin and Alejendro Arzola, a junior and sophmore respectively, speak with a representitive from Metz Culinary Management, of Dallas, during a career fair Tuesday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader  </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_TTL111517careers1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Angelina Silva, a ninth-grade Coughlin student at the Wilkes-Barre Area Career &amp; Technical Center, uses a simulation fire extinguisher with Robert Price, of Simplex, during the CTC&#8217;s job fair Tuesday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_TTL111517careers1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Angelina Silva, a ninth-grade Coughlin student at the Wilkes-Barre Area Career &amp; Technical Center, uses a simulation fire extinguisher with Robert Price, of Simplex, during the CTC&#8217;s job fair Tuesday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader  </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Got jobs? ‘Career Exploration Day’ lets students, employers connect