The first-ever Youth Apprenticeship Week was held at Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) on May 6.
The career event celebrated youth empowerment through networking and groundbreaking stories from individuals whose lives have transformed through apprenticeships.
As the event progressed, attendees engaged with multiple businesses and nonprofits. These organizations offered valuable guidance and tools in the vast world of apprenticeships.
Although the event welcomed all community members, organizations were geared toward assisting students and graduates. Attendees were able to explore potential career paths and forge meaningful connections.
Students from the Bridgewater-Raritan High School were among the attendees. They shared that the experience provided them with a lot of opportunities and was helpful.
The night’s highlight was a presentation featuring workers and their touching personal stories about how apprenticeships changed their lives.
Paul Grzella, director of the Greater Raritan Workforce Development (GRWDB), organized the event. He expressed his hope to raise awareness through the event about how apprenticeship programs are an effective pathway for anyone wanting to enter a new career.
“I’d love it if I heard in a week, ‘I just got a job because I attended this event.’ I hope that people understand how many options that they have, that they don’t have to feel hopeless,” Grzella said.
