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Middlesex County Office of Workforce & Career Development
Middlesex County Magnet School Students’ Paper Accepted at International Conference
Job searches, career advancement, and hiring can be stressful and time-consuming for job candidates and employers. The Middlesex County Office of Workforce and Career Development offers support services to residents searching for jobs, career training, and skill building, and assists employers through hiring strategies, staff development, and business incentives. Workforce and Career Development also hosts virtual and in-person events for business development, professional networking, and other career-related topics. “Our programs help residents gain skillsets, credentials and certifications, hands-on training, and experience, as well as an array of support services to address and overcome barriers to joining the local workforce,” said Kevin Kurdziel, the director of Workforce and Career Development. To better understand individual jobseeker’s career development needs and provide personalized support, the office evaluates each candidate’s skillset and experience. Workforce and Career Development then helps clients identify available resources and the next steps to further their professional development and gain meaningful employment. The office also provides follow-up services and resources as part of the County’s commitment to lifelong learning. “Our staff assist with job placement and candidate matching to ensure full-time employment is achieved. However, our services do not end there. Individuals are offered several weeks of follow-up services before exiting the program,” said Kurdziel. For more about the Office of Workforce and Career Development, please visit middlesexcountynj.gov middlesexcountynj.gov/workforce workforce.
Q. Why did you apply to the Middlesex County Magnet Schools? Bukkapatnam: “I had heard wonderful things from my peers about this school system. I knew I wanted to attend a school focused on allied health and biomedical sciences to help people in my career. The small class sizes and hands-on learning made me really excited to attend.”
Middlesex County Magnet School, Woodbridge Academy seniors Anika Bukkapatnam, Sara Manjaly, and Rachana Senthil had no idea what acclaim was forthcoming when they created a poster educating the public on sepsis, the body’s severe reaction to an infection, for their medical terminology class. Their poster took first place in the school-wide 2023 Tech Expo, and their research paper on sepsis was accepted by the 13th International Conference on Current and Future Trends of Information and Communication Technologies in Healthcare in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The trio also presented their machine learning model that provides rapid sepsis diagnosis to the entire Middlesex County Magnet Schools faculty. Time is critical with sepsis, and this model enables healthcare professionals to immediately intervene to treat and manage the condition. Bukkapatnam of South Brunswick, Manjaly of Old Bridge, and Senthil of Monroe, shared their thoughts on their recent accomplishments and more:
Q. What was your reaction when you heard your sepsis paper was accepted by this prestigious conference? Bukkapatnam: “We didn’t receive any notification, so we brushed it off as ‘failure.’ When we found out our paper was accepted ― I was shocked and excited.” Manjaly: “I felt hopeful to have the opportunity to share our findings with professionals in associated fields as well as the public. We want to further our innovation soon.” Senthil: “We were pleasantly surprised and excited to take the next steps to share our innovation with the world. We look forward to presenting a tangible solution to the overwhelming issue of sepsis.”
Q. What’s your favorite place in Middlesex County to visit/explore? Manjaly: “I love my local bookstore, walking through the aisles to look for new
Q. What’s your dream career after high school or university?
reads, while taking in the quiet and comfortable atmosphere.”
Senthil: “I plan to pursue a career as a physician, but I’m still exploring my options for specialties.”
Middlesex County Magnet School district offers 33 distinct career program tracks on campuses in East Brunswick, Edison, Perth Amboy, Piscataway, and Woodbridge. Visit mcmsnj.net mcmsnj.net to learn more.
On average, Workforce and Career Development assists around 5,000 Middlesex County residents and businesses each year.
(L-R) Anika Bukkapatnam, Rachana Senthil, Sara Manjaly
= 100 constituents
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12 Your Middlesex | 2024 Issue 1
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