Botetourt County connecting area industries with local students

BOTETOURT COUNTY, Va. – Too often, young people leave the Roanoke Valley to find a career. But a new event is encouraging students to think about a future in the area they call home.

Eighth-grader Sydney Vokus is planning for a career in a health-related field. And Botetourt County is doing its best to get her there. On Thursday, the county, the school system and the chamber of commerce hosted an expo to connect Botetourt County industries to Botetourt County students like Sydney. 

"I think it's cool because we'll be able to go off to college and then come back here and still be able to find a job in our field," said Sydney, a student at Read Mountain Middle School. 

About 800 middle and high school students cycled through each of these booths, and later in the afternoon, parents were able to visit the expo. That's hundreds of opportunities for local businesses and industries to find new talent in their own backyard. 

"Oftentimes students feel like they have to move away to have a career. Honestly right here in the valley are some of the best careers that the state of Virginia has to offer," said Tracy Nester, with Lawrence Companies. 

"To me, it's essential that schools not only provide an academic opportunity for kids but show a relationship between academics and what careers and jobs are within the community," said John Busher, Botetourt County Schools superintendent. 

The BoCo Xpo is the first of its kind in the county. But according to county officials, it's definitely not the last. 

"We can end up creating a pipeline of students that have the skills and abilities to carry out some of the world class jobs of the future," said Gary Larrowe, county administrator. 

Nearly 1,000 new jobs have been announced in Botetourt County since the beginning of 2016.