SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Tuesday, Hope for Youth & Families Foundation hosted a career fair for high school students.

Robert Bolduc from Hope for Youth and Families tells 22News, the foundation saw a need to link students with accessible career paths whether it be trades, academics, or healthcare.

Hope for Youth and Families works with the youth and underserved communities. The organization partnered with local school systems to help students explore different opportunities for their future careers. Tuesday, students from all of the charter and empowerment zone schools in Springfield went to the Mass Mutual Center, for the career fair. Students were able to learn about the different work fields and local colleges.

Bolduc says these kind of events play a role in helping students find their career path, “So they see what the opportunities are, these are great kids, they have great potential and they just don’t know at this age so we are helping them out.”

Elvis Nguyen of Baystate Academy Charter Public School adding, “It gives a lot of variety opportunity for kids and students that are about become adults and go out into the actual real world to find what they want to do.”

The career fair had representatives from Tech Foundry, Westover Job Corps, Baystate Hospital, EMT, local colleges, branches of the military; And Hope for Youth and Families says, they hope that more youth and local businesses in the area come next year.