Students and employers participating in last year’s Lehigh Valley Collegiate Career Expo. (photo courtesy LVCCE)

The Lehigh Valley Collegiate Career Expo (LVCCE) is back, and they’re connecting local college students with even more employers than last year.

The 15th annual event will offers college students and recent graduates the opportunity to connect with local companies for internship opportunities, volunteer opportunities, and part- and full-time employment.

It will be held Feb. 24 from 12 noon to 4 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Conference Center at 7736 Adrienne Drive, Breinigsville, PA., located off Routes 78 and 100.

A total of 140 employers will be participating this year, up from 125 last year, according to Nick Praedin, co-chair of the LVCCE and associate director of experiential education at Lehigh University.

“It’s just a great opportunity to put students and employers in one room for three or four hours to talk about student experiences and opportunities available, and hopefully give those students the chance to further developer their careers,” Praedin said.

The expo will feature employers from a wide range of industries, such as biotechnology, construction, engineering, finance, health care, insurance, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, technology, and much more. Click here for a full list of participants.

A few examples of participating employers include ArtsQuest, B. Braun Medical Inc., Bimbo Bakeries, Lutron Electronics, Olympus Corporation of the Americas, PPL Corporation, and Victaulic.

“This was the most successful career fair we attended,” one company said in a testimonial on the LVCCE website. “We were very impressed with candidates we spoke to, as well as the overall organization of the career fair.”

The event is co-sponsored by Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC), which will also have a presence at the expo. Other sponsors include Allied Personnel Services, AXA Advisors/Karr Barth Associates, Dun & Bradstreet, Enterprise Rent A Car, the Denzel Group, and Delta T Group.

This is Praedin’s third year of involvement with the LVCCE, and he has heard from several past Lehigh graduates who have made important career connections or found jobs at previous expos.

“It’s a common thing,” he said. “I’ve seen students come back here after the event and tell me they’ve created a great relationship with an employer and gotten opportunities that they wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

Students can register for the event here.

Job seekers from the following schools will be admitted to the Expo free of charge: Albright College, Alvernia University, Cedar Crest College, DeSales University, Kutztown University, Lehigh Carbon Community College, Lehigh University, Moravian College, Muhlenberg College, Northampton Community College, Penn State University (all Commonwealth campuses), and Reading Area Community College.

Students from a college or university that does not appear on the above list can participate for a $5 cash admission. Any student currently enrolled in an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree program, and recent alumni of such degree program, is welcome to attend.

Professional dress is required, and one copy of your résumé is required for admission, although it is recommended that candidates bring many résumés. Other requirements can be found here, and general tips for all candidates can be found here.

Service sponsors for the event include Just Born, Pepsi, and Vanity Fair.