GIRARD, Ohio - More than one thousand junior and senior high school students from Mahoning, Trumbull, Ashtabula, Columbiana counties traveled to the Girard expo center Wednesday for the Junior Achievement of Eastern Ohio's Inspire event.

"Our goal is to expose these students to what is available in all of those counties, and maybe they want to stay in the area after they graduate high school, or graduate college," JAEO's Kristen Taylor said.

The college, career, and trades fair gave students the opportunity to meet face-to-face with more than 50 local vendors offering educational and degree programs, summer jobs, internships, apprenticeships, and long-term employment opportunities.

Regional companies say they're grateful for the chance to attract a new generation into the local workforce.

"Demographics in the United States are simply showing that we've got a lot of folks retiring, and that's happening right at Schwebel's," HR director Melinda Rombold said of her company. "We've got amazing people who've had careers with us, have spent 20, 30, 40 years ... We need to replace that."

Workshops on 'Soft Skills Needed in the Workplace' and 'How to Get a Job and Keep a Job' were also offered by local professionals to prepare students for their futures in the workplace.

"That's going to put your application at the top of the pile because they see that you already possess these skills that are so important to these business leaders," Taylor noted.