The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR), Longwood University and the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC) offered AspHIRE Mock Interview Day 2024 to 190 high school students this Spring. Students participated in mock interviews and learned about professionalism and other important workplace skills with local professionals. Students came from 10 school divisions.
Volunteers interview high school students from Pittsylvania County Schools during an AspHIRE Mock Interview Day hosted at IALR in early March.
“The AspHIRE Mock Interview Day provides valuable experience to high school students across Southern Virginia, exposing them to important workplace skills and allowing them to experience an authentic interview process.” – Jessie Vernon, IALR Advanced Learning Program Manager
The event was organized by IALR and held on March 5 and 7 at IALR, on March 13 at Longwood University, and on March 26 at the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center. Local professionals volunteered their time to lead work-readiness sessions on topics like communication, personal branding, professionalism, company benefits and more. In total, 57 volunteers provided their time, serving as interviewers and providing employability skill sessions.
190 students participated in AspHIRE Mock Interview Day 2024, which was held at three different locations: Longwood University, the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center and IALR.
Students from the following school divisions participated:
- Amelia County Public Schools
- Brunswick County Public Schools
- Charlotte County Public Schools
- Danville Public Schools
- Halifax County Public Schools
- Lunenburg County Public Schools
- Mecklenburg County Public Schools
- Nottoway Public Schools
- Pittsylvania County Schools
- Prince Edward County Public Schools
A volunteer interviews a high school student as part of the AspHIRE Mock Interview Day hosted at the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC) on March 26. Photo courtesy of SVHEC.
AspHIRE Mock Interview Day allows students to build skills through a practice interview with a local professional and several employability skill sessions. Students participate in a “conference” style experience, network with peers and professionals at a professional lunch and attend breakout sessions. The first AspHIRE Mock Interview Day was held at IALR in 2019 for students in Danville and Pittsylvania County and was expanded to include additional partners in the subsequent years. AspHIRE is part of IALR’s EmPOWER framework that systematically connects students to careers.
