Rochester Career Event Connects Students and Employers
More than 1,700 students explored skilled trades and manufacturing roles at an October career fair.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Job Fairs
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On Oct. 6, 2026, over 1,700 students and educators from 55 schools attended the fifth annual ROC With Your Hands event in Rochester. The career exploration fair featured more than 75 employers offering hands-on demonstrations and insights into local workforce opportunities.
Why it matters
The event aims to build a sustainable local workforce pipeline by introducing students to in-demand careers in advanced manufacturing and skilled trades. Employers hope to increase awareness of training paths while highlighting specific wages, benefits, and advancement potential.
More than 75 employers participated in this year's event, serving students from 55 schools. The Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship Program has previously connected 1,200 students with over 125 local companies.
The players
Bausch + Lomb
This global eye health company offers multi-year apprenticeship programs for electro-mechanical and robotics technicians.
Rochester Technology & Manufacturing Association
This industry trade group founded the annual career exploration event in 2022 to support regional technical training.
The details
Hosted at the Rochester Community Sports Complex, the fair allowed students to explore apprenticeship opportunities, including four-year electro-mechanical technician programs and two-year robotics technician paths offered by companies like Bausch + Lomb. Attendees engaged directly with industry professionals to discuss training requirements for careers in high-demand technical fields.
Timeline
The event was originally created in 2022.
The fifth annual career event took place on Oct. 6, 2026.
Market Landscape
The career fair functions as a recruitment engine for the Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship Program, which integrates local education with industry needs. This initiative consolidates regional manufacturing interests to compete against broader labor shortages in the skilled trades sector.
Students and families can use the event as a direct link to understand the financial benefits and training requirements for local technical careers. Participants gain tangible data on apprenticeship wages and benefits that may influence long-term career planning and education choices.
The takeaway
Early engagement in hands-on career exploration helps bridge the gap between classroom learning and industry requirements. Students are encouraged to research specific apprenticeship prerequisites early in their academic journey to secure better post-graduation placement.
Further reading
Learn more about local opportunities through the Job Fairs section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Rochester Business Journal.
Live Poll
Do you believe trade apprenticeships offer a viable alternative to a traditional four-year college degree?
