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DOWAGIAC — Connecting with local and national employers at Southwestern Michigan College’s Career Fair will be twice as easy. Open to SMC students and the community, SMC offers two opportunities to meet and interact with companies across a variety of fields, first March 7 on the Dowagiac campus and then March 14 in the Niles campus commons.

The Dowagiac fair runs from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Mathews Conference Center East. Hours for the Niles fair are 2 to 6 p.m.

More than 40 participating employers include: Trident Dock and Dredge of Watervliet, Cassopolis Family Clinic Network, American Arbor LLC of Three Rivers, Telamon Corp. of Watervliet, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Caretel Inns of St. Joseph, Norco Industries of South Bend and Elkhart, Corewell Health of Grand Rapids, Dowagiac Police Department, Michigan State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement of Dimondale, Modineer Group of Niles, Edustaff LLC of Grand Rapids, Bronson Healthcare Group of Kalamazoo, Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame, Cass County Sheriff’s Office of Cassopolis, Berrien County Juvenile Center of Berrien Center, Special-Lite of Decatur, Berrien County Trial Court of St. Joseph, Eagle Technologies of Bridgman, MI Life in Numbers of Dowagiac, Four Winds Casino of New Buffalo, Southwestern Michigan Community Ambulance Service (SMCAS) of Niles, Dowagiac Fire Department, Oaklawn Psychiatric Center of Mishawaka, Ascension Borgess of Kalamazoo, Bayer Crop Science of Constantine, Niles Community Schools, A&B Packing Equipment of Lawrence, Lyons Industries of Dowagiac, 1^st Source Bank of South Bend, Rehabilitation Hospital of Northern Indiana of Mishawaka, Midwest Energy and Communications of Cassopolis, Colby Event Services of Niles, Honor Credit Union of Berrien Springs, Hydro Aluminum Metals of Cassopolis, Korhorn Financial Group of Edwardsburg, Pride Care Ambulance of Portage, LADD Inc. of Dowagiac, UHY Advisors of Dowagiac, Heritage Community of Kalamazoo and SMC.

In addition, “We are offering a health-services panel for students,” including a retired doctor who traveled to New York to help when COVID-19 numbers were overwhelming, Career Development Manager Melinda Stockwell said. “He’s going to share his experiences on that panel at 1 p.m. in MCC West. For our students, there are opportunities for candidates to interview on-site.”

Leading up to the Career Fair, Stockwell said, students could attend a resume workshop, a dinner with successful alumni and Thursday’s What (Not) to Wear Fashion Show in collaboration with the Honors Program, which used it as a fundraiser.

“The Honors Program has taken on Helping Hands of Cass County,” a Cassopolis non-profit, Stockwell said. “Our students volunteer there weekly when people come in and get food and organize the shop’s clothes. They pulled professional clothing like shoes, dress pants or suits students could buy for a dollar after the fashion show, then all the money goes back to Helping Hands.”

“We’re trying to prepare students to develop their professionalism,” Stockwell said.