SANFORD — Cassandra Garland, currently studying precision manufacturing at Sanford Regional Technical Center, was listening when Dave Levesque, who directs the apprentice program at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, was talking about opportunities there.

The high school senior said her grandfather and father are machinists – her dad is a welder, and she’s leaning toward a similar career path.

“I’m seriously thinking about Portsmouth Naval Shipyard,” she said.

PNS is attempting to employ more women – Levesque estimated of the 800 apprentices currently working at the shipyard, 10 percent are women.

Shipyard worker Ed Cormier was staffing the PNS table at the Sanford Career Fair with Levesque. He pointed out that during World War II, most of the PNS workforce was female.

Garland and more than 600 others went from table to table at Sanford High School library Tuesday, learning about potential careers. The fair, which drew about 14 corporations, was sponsored by the Parent Leadership Training Institute and Jobs for Maine’s Graduates. Each of the businesses offered up $25 to set up tables and talk to young people. Proceeds benefit Sophomore Awareness, an annual event where the sophomore class is taken off campus for a series of through-provoking talks and seminars.

Kerry Ames was staffing the Bonanza Restaurant table. She’s a long-term employees there – 31 years, and pointed out that restaurants like Bonanza can give a young person a wealth of business experience. Some students were applying for after-school and summer jobs, she said, and the company makes it a point of working around school athletic schedules. She said most managers are people who started working for the company during high school.

Ethan Gage, a high school junior, was asking questions at the U.S. Army table and said he plans a career in military engineering. He said his grandfather was in the Army, and saw action in Germany.

Students Joelene Court, Zoe Brewer and Moriah Barbosa-Jones said they’re exploring options.

“We’re trying to figure out the future,” Brewer said. She’s looking at a career path in some sort of social work, as is Barbosa-Jones. Court said she wants to be an English teacher.

“I want to go to college and be successful,” said Brewer.

“Students really need to be thinking about what they want to do after high school, said Principal Marianne Sylvain, who said career fairs can spark an idea. “And if they have an idea, they’re motivated,” she said.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.