This story was written for WRAL TechWire Innovator partner Johnston Community College.

SMITHFIELD — Serendipitous moments were a common occurrence at the first-ever “Career in a Year Showcase” Tuesday night at Johnston Community College. In the large lobby of the Tart Building filled with information about 100 possible paths, all requiring less than a year to complete or for certification, job seekers had plenty of opportunities to happen upon the right fit.

Justin Lucas, 16, made a beeline to the IT table, with its banners about the Cisco Networking Academy and the Red Hat Academy. For most of the evening, the crowd was three or four deep there. Lucas learned what he needed to know and was about to leave, when the red door of the public safety display caught his attention. And that’s how Lucas and his stepmother, Megan Blackman, happened to be talking to instructor Jason Boggs about the how impending retirements in fire departments across the land would mean job opportunities for the right person.

The jobs of the future and skills necessary were on display at the Johnston Community College ‘Career in a Year’ showcase.

Before the event opened to the public, JCC President David Johnson met with a focus group of local industry leaders. He heard less about a “skills gap” in the local workforce and more about an “interest gap.” Some jobs are hard to fill because people don’t know about them and don’t know what they need to qualify. Career in a Year, he said, was one attempt to bridge that interest gap by displaying all the possibilities “for career programs that can provide a wonderful quality of life.”

By concentrating learning into a short amount a time, the interest gap can be bridged, he said. Some courses are continuing education with certification, and some are curriculum courses that lead to a degree. Some are both, but this wasn’t the point of the showcase. Finding the right fit was.

Most of the visitors appeared to be strolling by every table.

Victoria McRae, 20, checked out cosmetology, but was open to anything. “I’ve had trouble finding a career,” she said. “I’m open to options. I want to do something I actually like to do.”

Her friend, Lauren Stephenson, 19, wants something better than her fast-food job. “I need a better paying job,” she said. “I want to move out of the house, make money and work regular hours.”

Gaius Crudup, 21, was attracted to a career as an HVAC technician or firefighter. “I’m looking for something that will take me down life’s journey, while paying the costs,” he said.

Michael Cherry, 25, arrived in a tie from his sales job. “I don’t want to be a salesman forever,” he said. He waited patiently with the crowds around the healthcare table to get information about becoming a phlebotomist, like his mother had been.

David Allen, assistant principal at Smithfield-Selma High School, brought a student to the event when that student couldn’t answer his question about what’s next after graduation this spring. “I wanted him to see he can try out a career in a year or less,” he said.

Chef Robbie Carver flipped sandwiches and shared tips to a fast start in the food service sector at the Johnston Community College ‘Career in a Year’ showcase.

Go the least expensive, quickest route, chef Robbie Carver said as the enticing smell of his grilled tomato jam, cheese and arugula sandwiches drew a crowd for samples. The culinary techniques program can be completed in three months.

“Jump in and see if you want to do it,” he told the crowd while flipping sandwiches. “Don’t spend a fortune. Come here and see if you like it. We get in the field for experience, yet we have the expectations of a gourmet chef.” And you’ll make faster progress than simply by experience alone, he added.

This story was written for WRAL TechWire Innovator partner Johnston Community College.