Southeast had its first Healthcare Career Expo on Oct. 12 at the Student Recreation Center,

Director of Career Services Dan Presson said he was please with the number of health care providers present considering it was focused on students majoring in health care.

“We had 17 organizations that arrived and that is a good number whenever you are thinking about an individual industry,” Presson said.

Business developer Lisa Church from Life Care Center said one of the ways her organization wants to help students is by introducing them to careers.

“One of the ways we can help students is to help them realize that there are more career opportunities out there in the health career industry,” Church said.

She also said helping students understand the positions they may hold is important.

“Those people who provide the hands-on care such as Life nurses are very important and they always will be,” Church said.

She said the Life Care Center is looking to fill positions and has openings for students.

“We came here today because we needed to recruit some nurses, we need registered nurses, therapists, physical therapists and speech therapists,” Church said.

Registered nurse Dianne Klosterman said their organization, Davita Kidney Care, said they came to the expo to get recruits to work.

“We can help students by providing them with employment and there is opportunity for growth,” Klosterman said.

She said this was the first year the Davita Kidney Care organization had attended the Health Career Expo.

Nursing major Blake Himes said he came to the Healthcare Career Expo to see if he could get a job with Southern Illinois Healthcare.

“I’m looking to learn more about the opportunities they offer and the benefits of their hospital and the positions they have open,” Himes said.

He said Health Career Expo this year while practicing for an interview.

He also said the information given to him by Southern Illinois Healthcare was educational.

“I talked to the Southern Illinois Healthcare organization, got to learn more about their opportunities for graduating nurses, the best way to apply for positions and gave them my application and resume,” Himes said.

He said he did attend the Career Expo last year and felt that having a separate Health Career Expo was better because it was easier access to information focusing on one individual area.

“This is something we are going to want to continue because it seems like students are making good connections, employers are making good connections, and this can be beneficial for Southeast,” Presson said.