Hill International hosts career day seminar at BLHS
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CALCUTTA -- With job opportunities open for high school students looking to go into the workforce after graduation, local trucking company Hill International gave several Beaver Local High School students a look into what the trucking industry offers.
The high school and Hill International hosted a career day seminar Thursday afternoon for juniors and seniors, providing students their first career fair experience and an opportunity to see what career opportunities are available once they receive a diploma.
Throughout the hour-long seminar, students had an opportunity to hear from several of Hill International's department managers about opportunities available post high school, but project manager Rocco Longo said the company also looks to educate and give back to communities and help students and young adults alike.
"Days like today aren't just about what careers we have to offer," Longo said. "We take a lot of pride, and we take very seriously sharing insight and advice to young adults as to how they can be the best professionals that they can be regardless what career opportunities they choose."
Many of the career opportunities Hill provides includes sales, information technology, human resources, various management positions, and diesel technicians, which Longo cited as a hot commodity. Along with this, interested students can start a career in mechanics through the company's five-year technician program, where students serve as apprentices and can be paid while learning the trade.
Zach Chuck, a 2018 Beaver Local graduate, is one of the apprentices currently in the program, having shadowed his grandfather, a heavy machinery mechanic, for many years where he developed the interest. Chuck joined the program a year-and-a-half ago through the senior work study, and mentioned that based on his experiences so far, the staff has been knowledgeable and willing to work with the students.
"The five-year program itself is a great program," Chuck said. "You learn everything from greasing truck all the way up to engineer adult program. They cover everything in between, and you do the testing as you do the section, so you don't have to go and do one section and move on and take the test after you've already learned another section. It's a section at a time."
Starting inside the Beaver Local auditorium, Longo, along with president Mike Barber and other representatives, provided information about the Calcutta-based business, founded in 1897, with dealerships in East Liverpool, Martins Ferry, Wheeling, W.Va., and Eighty Four, Pa. Hill also owns and operates Tri-State Ford, located in the East End of East Liverpool, as well as four Napa Auto Parts locations in East Liverpool, Cadiz, St. Clairsville and Magnolia.
Following the brief presentation, multiple breakout sessions took place behind the school, where the company's numerous trucks and other vehicles were on display in the parking lot. During the breakout sessions, students got to ask the company's department managers questions about the business, its equipment, the work involved and the various job opportunities, with the opportunity to speak with Hill representatives for potential careers if interested.
Afterward, some quiz questions were asked to students, with correct answers earning the them Amazon gift cards.
Both Hill International and Beaver Local representatives expressed interest in the event, with Longo mentioning the company wanted to try to get the word out that while some students may be mechanics, Hill offers other job opportunities. He said once school officials heard that, they were on board for a career fair.
"They do an eighth-grade career day every year, and we've been part of that numerous years, and it's a very cool event, but one of the things we mentioned is that we are speaking at the same time as doctors, lawyers, dentists, and we wanted to make sure we got the message out to all students about the various opportunities that we have at the Hill automotive group," Longo said.
"It's a great opportunity for our kids, they (Hill) obviously want Beaver Local graduates, it's important to them," high school assistant principal Mike McKenzie said. "It's such a huge company and there's so many opportunities. That's the thing, it's not a company that's just doing truck repair or building trucks.
"Anything that our kids want to get into, there's some type of opportunity, whether it's as an accountant or sales or mechanics, and whether it's someone who wants to come out and do labor or they want to go into a technical school or want to go into a four-year college, they have opportunities for every one of those kids. So it's a great thing for our kids to see. I think most of our kids don't see the number of opportunities it presents them."
Many of the 350 employed within the Hill automotive group are local graduates, including Longo, Barber and Chuck, who are Beaver Local graduates.
"The ownership at Hill takes a lot of pride in hiring local people," Longo said. "We have a lot of people from the area."
"We're all one big team trying to get the job done," Chuck said.
Hill International's main offices are located on Y&O Road in Calcutta. For more information, visit www.hillintltrucks.com.