Photo by Shelley Hanson Capt. Tobias Bachman of Wheeling Fire Department Bureau of Fire Prevention, talks with senior Briar Works at the Wheeling Park High School job fair on Wednesday.

WHEELING – Wheeling Park High School students got the chance to explore employment opportunities for the summertime and beyond during a job fair Wednesday at the school.

Seniors Jamielynn Antill and Spencer Carnahan-Custer stopped at the Valley Grove Volunteer Fire Department’s table to see what was available.

Carnahan-Custer said he has family members who have worked as firefighters and EMS, and he is interested in doing that, too.

“My original plan was to go into underwater welding, and I’m trying to see if that’s still available,” he said. “But right now it’s a choice between the two.”

Antill also is interested in a couple different types of work – EMT with a fire department or trades related to automotive, welding or engineering.

“I’m hoping EMTs, specifically Triadelphia, have some options. Sadly, they are trying to renew, not the whole firehouse, because it got caught up in the flood,” she said.

Janet Blacker, an EMT with the Valley Grove Volunteer Fire Department, said her department entices students to work at the department by offering free training.

“Basically what we do is we tell them they can start their training here,” she said. “We can start them at the age of 15. They can get all the free training because we provide it. And when they turn 18 they can go and try to get on (the Wheeling Fire Department) if they want to do it as a paid professional.”

Blacker noted this type of recruitment is aimed at getting more members.

“Volunteer agencies, their membership is low so we’re trying to build it up,” she said. “We have a lot of 40-something and up on our fire department. So we want to build up our younger ones so that they can eventually take over.”

She added Valley Grove does have a paid EMS service Monday-Friday.

“You can do both fire and EMS. We’ll put them through the training,” Blacker said.

Senior Briar Works said he is interested in pursuing a career in corrections or firefighting.

“Over the summer I went to a camp led by the sheriffs in West Virginia, and I really liked that,” Works said. “So I was thinking law enforcement.”

Wheeling Fire Department Bureau of Fire Prevention Capt. Tobias Bachman talked to Works about the amount of training the firefighters receive along with the wages and benefits.

“It’s an exciting job. You never know what’s going to happen on any given day,” Bachman said. “No day is the same. You got medical calls and every different kind of emergency you can think of. If it’s an emergency in the city, we’re there.”

Daniel Morris, organizer with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 141, Wheeling, said he was talking to students about the benefits of starting an apprenticeship to become an electrical worker.

“I’m offering a career as an electrician. It’s not a job, it’s a career,” he said. “Jobs are temporary. Careers are lifelong. It’s a very rewarding career. … You have to figure out what your passion is and do it – because that’s half the battle. A lot of them have no idea at this age so it’s great exposing them to what the possibilities are.”

Morris believes there has been an increase in interest in the trades during the past few years.

“Not everyone is cut out to go to college. A lot of people go to college and then end up coming back to the trades,” he said. “With an apprenticeship you get paid to go to work. An apprenticeship doesn’t cost you anything so you come out with zero debt, plus four or five years in a trade, whichever trade you go into.”

He added by the fourth year of an apprenticeship one could be making $57,600 to $72,000 per year.

Julie Schultz, organizer of the Wheeling Park High School job fair, said the event allows students to learn what jobs are available locally.

“The beautiful thing about this event is that we have businesses and organizations that have opportunities for volunteering, for internships, for apprenticeships, full-time jobs, part-time jobs, summer employment, year-round employment,” said Schultz, who is the school’s innovation coach, graduation coach, residential educational liaison and a theater director.

She noted some groups offer scholarships and tuition assistance to their employees.