Small businesses make up the backbone of a community and provide services, products and customer experiences that large corporations and companies can't. While many college students might dream of working for a Fortune 500 company or large corporation in a big city, there are numerous opportunities right here in Northeast Pennsylvania that students can take advantage of, or even model their own business after.
To better familiarize Penn State Worthington Scranton students with existing local small businesses, Coordinator of Career Services Jon Tobin has organized Small Business Awareness Week, which consists of both on-campus presentations and off-campus tours and meet-and-greets with local area business owners for students pursuing a career in business or as entrepreneurs.
On Tuesday, March 29, the region's Small Business Development Center will be on campus to do a presentation about everything involved with opening and running a small business. They will be speaking in Dawson 12 at 1:35 pm. All students are invited.
On Wednesday, March 30, there will be an employer panel discussion with local small business owners who will talk about how they opened their small businesses. This presentation will be held in the Business Building's Hawk Lecture Hall at 4 pm.
On Thursday, March 31, students can take advantage of an off-campus learning experience by going on a field trip to two successful local businesses -- Carl Von Luger's Steakhouse and Terra Preta restaurant, which are both owned by the same family. The students will get to tour both restaurants and gain hands-on, real-life information on what it is like to run these types of small businesses. The tour will then stop at Rita's Water Ice in Dunmore to get a first-hand look at owning and operating a small business franchise. The tour leaves PSWS at noon.
Students are encouraged to take advantage of as many of these opportunities as possible.
For more information on these events, contact Jon Tobin at 570-963-2684 or email: [email protected].