ABOVE: Martin County West student Bryce Scholl flies and attempts to land a plane as Iowa Lakes Assistant Chief Flight Instructor Jessica Resutek talks to him and monitors his progress on Wednesday at ACE.

FAIRMONT – Despite having to move the Area Career Exploration (ACE) event to May from April due to state testing, the same opportunities for over 460 10th graders from nine school districts to learn about the workforce around them were bountiful during the event on Wednesday at Fairmont High School.

ACE is a long-running partnership between the Fairmont Area Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota Valley Action Council (MVAC), city of Fairmont, Fairmont Community Education and Recreation and Fairmont Area School District.

Students from Fairmont, Truman, Martin Luther, Martin County West, Blue Earth, Mountain Lake, St. James, Butterfield-Odin and North Union packed the high school’s Performing Arts Center for trivia and career games before going to one of the 65 area businesses that had tables in the gymnasium ready for students’ questions.

Some had the standard fare of pamphlets and handouts with logos on them, while others had different approaches. Iowa Lakes Community College had a computer flight simulator right next to Albert Lea’s Sunrise Aviation, Riverland Community College had a tire-changing timed challenge and Minnesota West Community and Technical College brought a robotic dog.

Fairmont High School Principal Chad Brusky said they aligned their event with the Minnesota Department of Education Career Wheel, including Education, Construction, Financial Services, Hospitality and Agriculture, among others.

“What they’re doing now matters,” he said. “Connections are important. How you behave and the connections and relationships you make in school matter for a possible career.”

Even with the change in date, Brusky said it worked out well for all schools as intended. They were also able to do the senior retreat and sixth-grade visits on Wednesday, ensuring the necessary disruption to standard school scheduling was contained in one day.

With this event, Brusky said it helps given the trend of students returning to Fairmont for employment.

“A lot of our students go into careers right here in the community,” he said. “It gives our community a great chance to let them know what opportunities they have. I feel like students maybe don’t know what’s all available in the area. Being able to see all of these different opportunities right here opens their eyes and makes them think about returning to Fairmont for employment in the future.”

Martin Luther High School Guidance Director Amber Diekmann said they had 13 students attend this year. She said it’s an event that has generated many positive opportunities and intrigue.

“I’ve seen that students talk to people they never would have talked to,” Diekmann said. “They learn about careers that weren’t on their radar. They’re curious. They’ve heard stuff from previous students, so they were curious to see what it would be like.”

ABOVE: Caleb Bergt, a student at Martin Luther High School, picks option B during a game show portion of the ACE event meant to provide info on the Fairmont area workforce and tips on what to do, competing against students from Truman, Martin County West and Fairmont on Wednesday.

This year’s event was slightly bittersweet, as this was the first year of the project since its inception in 2009 without founder and former Chamber president, Bob Wallace. Fellow Founder, Tammie Hested of Minnesota Valley Action Council, spoke to each group of students about Wallace between the games and gymnasium business visits.

“His impact continues to shape opportunities for students like you,” she said. “Because of his dedication, countless students have gained confidence and direction in choosing their path. His legacy lives on in every opportunity created and every student inspired.”

Freightliner Truck Center Companies Recruiter Tony Ross said this was his first time at the ACE event, but he liked the setup a little more than other career events he had been to in the past.

When attending career events, Ross said they are active in passing knowledge and employment information on to the next generation.

“I try to make sure that our recruiting and employment opportunities are laid out,” he said. “My main goal is to find an up-and-coming diesel technician to come work in the shops, maybe someone from a high school or just about ready to graduate that wants to break into the industry, but also to educate on the transportation industry.”

Expectations on the career path, education needed, what is offered in terms of education and continuing education and pay scale are all presented by Ross so students get the full scope of information. Ross said it means the world to him that opportunities like this exist.

“I always want to get out here into the community and get young people interested,” he said. “Everyone’s gotta have a job when they get out of high school. Everybody’s got to pay their bills and stuff. It’s nice to just let them know that there are other career opportunities besides going to a four-year school.

Fairmont High School student Noah Heckman went into the event looking to learn about health and aviation programs. ACE was a learning experience for him in these fields.

“I was learning what it takes to get to that job, the pay level, experiences, where I can access that job,” he said.

Through ACE, Heckman said he has a lot more knowledge of the fields he is interested in and how to find opportunities in them. His favorite stand of the day was for Sunrise Aviation.

Having assisted with ACE for 12 years, Organizer and Fairmont Area Chamber of Commerce President Kandi Menne said she has been fortunate to be a part of something that just works.

“A lot of the younger students spend so much time in front of the screen,” she said. “They want to be hands-on. They need to learn to dress properly, interview, ask questions, go up and approach people and listen. We hope that feels like part of their education, too.”