Bakersfield College hosted the Health Connection Fair on Oct. 12 to encourage students currently enrolled in the pre-Healthcare program, or who are interested in a career in health care, to talk to representatives from other institutions about nursing as well as potential employers regarding internships and job opportunities in town.

The event featured 26 employers, including Accelerated Urgent Care, Northwest Surgery Center, San Joaquin Community Hospital and Bakersfield Heart Hospital.

Stephanie Baltazar, a job development specialist at BC, said the goal of the event was to connect students to potential employers in Kern County.

“The goal was truly to expose students considering health care or that are in the BC Health Care program to the different opportunities in our community,” she said. “Everyone here hires new graduates from our county and from our program and so truly it’s for them not to fear, ‘well I don’t have those years of experience.’

“These people will take you without those years of experience. So it’s to kind of to expose them, plant the seed of what’s available out there in our community because there’s so much to offer here in Bakersfield.”

According to Baltazar, students were afforded the opportunity to apply for both paid and un-paid internships.

“There are some that offer paid internships and also volunteer opportunities. So if students are looking to explore, volunteering is the best way to get references for your résumé, building relationships, and to kind of climb that ladder in terms of entry level,” Baltazar said.

Olvia Torres, 37, thought the event was informative and beneficial to students. “It’s a good event to have because as students we need resources at school,” Torres said.

Brooklyn Banducci, 18, also felt the event was beneficial to students.

“I believe it has been good. I feel every school should have something like this because it helps future nurses trying to get jobs in the field,” Banducci said.

Joshua Le, 23, a radiologic technology major, felt the event benefitted him not only academically, but personally as well.

“Last year when they had this event, there weren’t many companies representing my program, which is X-ray tech, but this year, you know, half the booths will take X-ray.

“A lot of it was geared toward nursing, they need more nurses than X-ray techs, but so far for me, it has been really beneficial and I’ve had a couple hospitals and clinics saying they need our jobs and it’s been really beneficial for both sides. They get workers and we get work,” Le said.

Baltazar said she hoped the event helped inform students what to expect in the field of healthcare once they leave the program.

“I hope the students got a broader view of what to expect once they leave the program and the potential opportunities that aren’t just nursing.

“There are just so many options available, so hopefully they get a broad range of what to expect once they leave the program,” she said.