UW-Platteville’s Corporate Relations hosted the second annual Industry Awareness Day on Sept. 30, which brought over 30 companies on campus to introduce potential internships, co-ops, part-time positions and full-time positions to students.

Industry Awareness Day, started in 2019 before COVID-19, serves as an event during which both students and companies are able to introduce themselves to each other before the larger main event: the Fall Career Fair.

Compared to the initial Industry Day in 2019, the number of participating companies has almost doubled and includes returning companies.

Additionally, over 30 UW-Platteville alumni were employees of the companies present. 

Megan McCarthy, Account Specialist in Corporate Relations, commented on the impact of Industry Day. “I think (businesses) are really eager to get in front of the students, given that they haven’t been able to do so in a couple of years, with the Career Fair as well … it’s been really well received and we would certainly like to grow the number of participants on campus … but we wanted to gauge our spacing first.”

For some organizations, like Oshkosh Corporation, a vehicle designing and manufacturing business, attending an in-person event is paramount to recruitment and displaying.

Not only does the in-person Industry Day benefit possible employers, but it also creates a more accessible environment in which students can explore career possibilities.

“People are Zoomed out … it’s gotten to be so much for students and I think (students) welcome these opportunities to really engage with companies and real people live and in-person,” commented Angie Herting, Development Specialist at Corporate Relations. “The other nice thing is that it’s really a student’s job market. Companies that have never had to recruit before are here because they have to recruit now.”

Craig Beytien, Executive Director of Corporate Relations, echoed the positive reception about how enthusiastic “these companies are to be here. They really are. I’ve asked every one of the groups I’ve met, which is all of them, what their priority is, and it’s that they are hiring today. If it’s not a co-op, if it’s not an internship, they are definitely hiring.”

UW-Platteville is the only comprehensive university in southwest Wisconsin, and one of the only members of the UW System, that has a distinct office that works to assist students in the transition from college life to employment.

Corporate Relations also has hosted two community days: one for Fox Cities, WI, and another for Dubuque, IA. Community days are opportunities for companies from specific regions to visit campus. 

The Industry Awareness Day, the fall and spring Career Fair and community industry days are all results of the ongoing effort to provide support to students as they move beyond the university and into the job market.