The You're Hired event will take place on March 13 & 14, 2025 at Lion Arena. This program is designed to connect businesses with motivated graduating high school seniors who are eager to embark on their professional journeys.

We believe that this program will greatly benefit to both employers and students as they transition to the workforce. Your collaboration is vital to the success of this initiative. If you have any questions or need further clarification, please feel free to reach out. We appreciate your consideration and look forward to working together to prepare our students for future success.

2025 PARTICIPATING SCHOOL DISTRICTS

• Augusta
• Bald Knob
• Beebe
• Des Arc
• McCrory
• Midland
• Pangburn
• Riverview
• Searcy

FOR EMPLOYERS

You're Hired is an exciting event scheduled for March 13-14, 2025, created to connect businesses like yours with motivated graduating high school seniors eager to launch their professional journeys. We invite you to join this impactful initiative and help shape the future of our local workforce.

Criteria for Participating Businesses:

• Have job openings suitable for high school graduates.
• Offer positions with benefits and the potential for long-term career growth.

Our inaugural event was a tremendous success:

• Eight students received job offers on the day of the event.
• Two additional students later secured positions with employers they connected with.
• One student hired during the event recently received a promotion and now earns $20.00 per hour, demonstrating the impact and growth potential of these opportunities.
• The 2024 event featured participation from four schools, and its remarkable growth is evident this year, with nine area schools already registered to take part. 

Participation Details:
If your business is interested, please complete the BUSINESS REGISTRATION FORM by Friday, February 21, 2025. If the link does not work, you can paste https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WCZK6VB into your browser.

This initiative includes several key elements:

1. Student Interviews: You will have the opportunity to meet and interview high school seniors prepared to enter the workforce.
2. Career Awareness: Showcase the skills, benefits, and growth opportunities your organization offers.
3. Recognition Event: Your company will be recognized at a celebratory signing event on April 22, 2025, at 6:00 PM at Lion Arena, where we will honor students who secure job offers through the You're Hired event.

Your participation plays a vital role in shaping our future workforce while addressing the employment needs of our local economy. If you have any questions or would like more information, please feel free to contact me at mchurchwell@searcyschools.org , Jennifer Pike at jennifer.pike@arkansas.gov or Tara Cathey at tcathey@searcychamber.com. Tara Cathey 501-268-8315.

We look forward to collaborating with you to make the 2025 You’re Hired event an incredible success!

FOR SCHOOLS

Next Steps for Participating Schools:

1. Resume Submission
   • Encourage your students to start preparing their resumes. Upon submission, students will select their top three job preferences from the list of available positions. The list of opportunities will be updated regularly as businesses register.
   • Deadline: Resumes must be submitted no later than February 21, 2024.
2. School Provided Graduation Verification Letter
   • Each student participating in the event must submit a School Provided Graduation Verification Letter alongside their resume. This step helps address a common barrier students faced last year and improves their chances of receiving job offers.
   • You may use the attached template or a format of your own. Letters must be submitted at the same time as the resume.

School-Provided Graduation Verification Letter

3. Photo Release/Resume Release Form
   • Students must complete and sign a Photo Release/Resume Release Form, which authorizes the sharing of their resumes with participating employers and partner organizations.
   • Note: Interviews will not be scheduled until this form is submitted. Please scan or photograph the signed form and attach it using the provided Google Form.

Photo Release/Resume Release Waiver

4. Interview Scheduling
   • A minimum of three interviews will be scheduled and will take place on Thursday, March 13, or Friday, March 14, 2025, depending on your school's assigned day. A detailed schedule will be provided the week prior to the event. Additionally, we will allocate time during the day for students and employers to request and conduct additional interviews beyond the pre-scheduled ones.
5. Celebration Event
   • To celebrate the achievements of students who secure positions through the event, we will host a signing event on Monday, April 22, 2024, at 6:00 PM at Lion Arena. Families and guardians are encouraged to attend.

Submission Deadline:

All resumes, School Provided Graduation Verification Letter, and Photo Release/Resume Release forms must be submitted by February 21, 2024 to the link below.