More than 275 organizations and 1,200 students and alumni are expected to attend Drexel’s 2007 Fall Career Fair on Wednesday, October 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the University’s Daskalakis Athletic Center (33rd and Market Streets). Organized by Drexel’s Steinbright Career Development Center (SCDC), the fair is a barometer for the regional job market and a harbinger of national trends for college graduates. Unlike the overall national job market, the outlook for recent college graduates is booming. Recruiters lined up to reserve booths at Drexel’s career fair, filling the space to capacity in a record three weeks, according to Peter Franks, SCDC executive director. Reports by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), which surveys the job market for college graduates, indicate that employers plan to recruit 17.4 percent more college graduates from the class of 2007 than they did from the class of 2006. In the Northeast region alone, 16.9 percent more college graduates can expect to find jobs this year, accounting continues to be the degree in top demand. According to NACE, the reason for this surge in the job market is the increase in the number of employees retiring and growth in businesses. For Franks, the interest in Drexel graduates is also the result of the University’s cooperative education program through which Drexel students alternate periods of classroom study with paid professional-level jobs at 1,500 employer organizations in 42 states and 20 international locations. More than 4,500 Drexel students are on co-op assignments each year. “Employers invest in training for the younger employees,” said Franks. “With Drexel students they know they are going to invest in quality employees who already have professional experience and have acquired certain skills before they graduate.”According to SCDC reports, there will be an almost equal participation from large and small corporations. Non-profit and government organizations have also registered to recruit. Microsoft will be among the recruiters at the career fair. Microsoft Corporation hired all eight Drexel co-op students who were working for the company this year. Graduates with degrees in information science and technology will be the most highly sought at the fair. According to Franks, there is a shortage of computer engineers, computer science and IT majors in general, but business and finance jobs are also in high demand. More than 300,000 college students attend more than 83 higher education institutions in Greater Philadelphia. Among them, Drexel University has the largest academic career fair. It’s organized through the University’s SCDC, which maintains strong ties with local, national and international business through Drexel’s co-operative education program. For more information on the career fair at Drexel, visit www.drexel.edu/acdc.News Media Contact: Niki Gianakaris, Assistant Director, Drexel News Bureau 215-895-6741, 215-778-7752 (cell) or ngianakaris@drexel.edu
