LA GRANDE — The gap between graduation and employment doesn’t have to be long nor stressful. Similarly, finding qualified young employees doesn’t have to feel like a scavenger hunt. Eastern Oregon University’s upcoming Career Expo is an equal opportunity event for job seekers and employers alike.

EOU hosts the on-campus event Wednesday, April 6, inviting various businesses to speak with, interview and recruit students.

“We invite various types of employers and business professionals to come showcase their job and internship experiences and opportunities,” said Brandy Smith, an MBA student and assistant coordinator for the expo. “This event will allow students to drop off their resumes and speak directly to these employers. The setup will be similar to a meet and greet, but students will be able to learn more about these employers and do mock interviews in a shorter period.”

Planning for the event began in October 2021 and was initiated by Edward Henninger, dean of the College of Business. The event is a collaboration between the Career Services Center, College of Business and other academic units at the university. The College of Education held its own specialized career fair during winter term, since teachers have distinct networks and pathways.

“This will be the first year of an all-inclusive campus-wide Career Expo featuring opportunities for all of EOU’s students as well as students in our OHSU Nursing and OSU Agriculture and Natural Resources parent programs operating here on the La Grande campus,” Henninger said.

More than 40 businesses have registered for the expo, including Boise Cascade, BeefNorthwest, ThreeMileCanyon Farms LLC, Romans Precision Irrigation, Woodgrain Lumber, Fresenius Medical Care North American, the Port of Morrow, Providence and Grande Ronde Hospital.

The expo will be split between two venues. Businesses primarily pursuing nursing and agriculture and natural resources job seekers will be hosted in Badgley Hall, and businesses targeting the job seekers in the many career-ready programs offered by EOU will be hosted in the David E. Gilbert Center.

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 6. Tables and amenities will be provided for all business representatives. The registration deadline for businesses is 5 p.m. March 30. This EOU event is free for students and alumni to attend.

“Overall, we are looking forward to hearing about the great opportunities our students will come across, or even land as a job or internship,” Smith said. “We hope to use this first year to help make the coming years run even better.”

Additional event information, employer bios and registration links are available at eou.edu/career/expo.