PALMER – River East School-To-Career (RESTC) Healthcare Career Fair invited local high school students to learn more about the field through information, conversation and demonstration.

On April 13, approximately 75 students from Palmer High School, Monson High School and Pathfinder, among others, visited the Palmer Public Library. Inside the library’s community room, several booths were set up, encompassing a variety of higher education institutions and careers in healthcare. Representatives from Baystate Health, Trinity Health of New England, Western New England University’s Pharmacy program and more, were present to meet with students, learn about their interests and explain what their institution or company offers.

Karen Anti, School-to-Career facilitator at Palmer High School said, “It’s important for the students to get experience.” Since the start of COVID-19, “healthcare has seen a struggle,” she said. Anti noted that events such as this career fair, will hopefully expand students’ interest and allow them to become aware of potential opportunities.

RESTC, a business and education partnership, was established as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2004. They promote K-16 career education and assist in the preparation to get there.

According to RESTC, “The River East School-to-Career Partnership brings together schools, businesses, and organizations to create exciting career exploration opportunities for students. Their aim is to help students make informed decisions regarding their career and educational goals. In the past five years, over 1,000 students have participated in School-to-Career activities including: Belchertown, Hampden-Wilbraham, Longmeadow, Monson, Palmer, Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School and Ware.”

Additional information on RESTC can be found on their website at https://www.rivereast-stc.org/.