Lake County career fair connects students with local employers and colleges

Lake County’s workforce challenge was on full display in Two Harbors: with an estimated population of 10,746 and just 18.4% of residents under 18, the county is trying to build a steady pipeline of younger workers before shortages deepen. The April 30 career fair at Two Harbors High School was designed to do exactly that, linking middle school and high school students with employers, colleges and community organizations that want to keep talent in the region.

The Lake County Chamber of Commerce and the Lake Superior School District packed the high school gym with booths, raffles, swag and hands-on activities, turning the space into a rotating introduction to jobs, training and next steps after graduation. THHS DECA students helped run the event, giving classmates a chance to move from table to table and ask direct questions about careers. The chamber said the fair, held from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., was part of building a local workforce pipeline. Exhibitor spots cost $100 for chamber members and $150 for non-members, and registered businesses had to submit an attendee list by April 27, with background checks required by law.

For local employers, the point was not just recruitment for the summer. Sam Halac, lift operations and recreation manager at Lutsen Mountains, used his booth to show how North Shore tourism and outdoor recreation can become year-round work. Lutsen Mountains says it has been creating experiences on Minnesota’s North Shore since 1948, and Halac said he wanted students to see that outdoor jobs can offer challenge, teamwork and a setting many people would move for, not away from.

Erin Mecklin, vice president of operations at Two Harbors Federal Credit Union, brought a different message. Her booth focused less on immediate hiring and more on financial education and life skills, a reminder that the county’s talent pipeline also depends on helping students manage money, plan ahead and understand how local institutions work. THFCU says Mecklin has worked there for more than 13 years, was promoted after serving as director of member engagement, and was named Volunteer of the Year by the Lake County Chamber of Commerce in April 2025. The credit union says its Youth Advisory Board is open to members ages 13 to 18.

The fair fit into a larger local effort. The Lake County Workforce Development Board says one of its key imperatives is accelerating career pathways for high school students and young adults, and its Job Center serves 70 municipalities and 900 businesses annually. A 2023 chamber career expo at Two Harbors High School drew more than 60 businesses and trade organizations and 10 colleges, showing that employers and educators have been using the school as a countywide recruiting ground. Local government jobs were also promoted at this year’s fair for Two Harbors High School and William Kelley School students, widening the message: if Lake County wants students to stay, the jobs, training and support systems have to be visible early.