Employers Showcase Local Technology Careers at Explore Rochester IT Symposium

Many local college students express a sincere desire to stay in the Rochester area after graduating, but the challenge can be connecting with the right job opportunities.

Facilitating that connection is what’s driving the fourth annual Explore Rochester IT symposium, taking place from noon to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 17, in the Gordon Field House and Activities Center at Rochester Institute of Technology. Explore Rochester IT aims to increase awareness and excitement related to opportunities throughout the region in the information technology field, including careers in telecommunications, software engineering, computer graphics, digital media and management information systems.

Students presently enrolled at area colleges or universities are invited to come and speak with chief information officers from many of Rochester’s largest companies. Representatives will discuss their firm’s IT initiatives along with the vocational outlook.

“Every year, our local colleges graduate students with IT degrees, and many of them leave the area to pursue jobs out of state,” says Jeanne Casares, RIT’s CIO. “This program is an effort to retain the best and the brightest here in the Rochester area and to encourage local IT businesses to hire these talented young people.”

Sponsors of Explore Rochester IT include Bausch & Lomb, Computer Aid Inc., Energy East, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, Frontier, Eastman Kodak, Paychex, RIT, University of Rochester, University of Rochester Medical Center and Wegmans.

Dan Canzano, CIO at Paychex, says the Explore Rochester IT symposium is a great way for students to see what local options exist for IT professionals.

“The participating companies support a wide array of technologies, and all have exciting projects underway,” states Canzano. “Learning about what the companies offer can have a dramatic impact on students’ decisions about their future. And the companies can benefit from the talent and brainpower these students bring to the table.”

During the event, students will also be introduced to the Rotational Exposure Program. Students who participate in the program spend their summer working in the IT operations areas of three different sponsoring employers, rotating from one company to the next every three weeks.

“Each year, the Rotational Exposure Program introduces us to six to nine local college students interested in IT,” explains Don Reeve, Wegmans CIO. “Even though the rotations are short, the program has provided us with a new channel to identify future employees and allowed us to benefit from the students’ enthusiasm. In return, the students get to see what types of IT opportunities exist in Rochester.”

Students attending the Explore Rochester IT symposium are being treated to a pizza luncheon, and door prizes are available. For more information or to register for the event, visit the Explore Rochester IT Web site.