Cincinnati Works held its inaugural spring job fair, connecting 100 job seekers ready to work their way out of poverty with 16 area employers. The event was hosted at CityLink Center and was limited to Cincinnati Works clients, ensuring that all participants were prescreened and equipped with job readiness training.
Almetta Starr attended the event as a Cincinnati Works client.
“I am looking for full-time employment – hopefully something clerical,” Starr said. “I currently have two part-time jobs, but they are only giving me about 20 hours a week right now. And I have four children, so that’s not cutting it for us.”
“Cincinnati Works is great about helping me identify employers who will look at my current work ethic, as opposed to my past personal mistakes,” Starr continued.
Alyssa Clark attended the event as a representative of Busken Bakery.
Clark said, “When you come to a job fair like this you are able to actually meet a person, and personality is much more important in my line of business that anything I can read on a resume.”
“Everybody has barriers in their life. But when the employees that we brought in from Cincinnati Works are having issues, I can just call up their employment coach and explain the situation,” Clark went on. “The employment coach will help that individual to remove those barriers, so there are not issues at work. As an employer, that’s a great feeling.”
Cincinnati Works President Peggy Zink said, “Seeing our two customers – Members and employers – in lively interaction was a vivid reminder of the important role we are playing in aligning and fulfilling their mutual needs so that each can achieve their longer term goals.”
3CDC conducted on-site interviews at the job fair. Anjylla Foster, customer service supervisor, attended the event as a representative of 3CDC.
“[The] job fair provided us with the valuable opportunity to meet with potential candidates in a one-on-one setting. Cincinnati Works continues to be an asset to 3CDC and our hiring process,” Foster said. “Their job readiness program is committed to cultivating exceptional work skills required of those who wish to be successful in today’s workforce. The candidates we hire all play a vital role in both our daily operations and our efforts to revitalize Cincinnati’s urban core.”
As a workforce development agency for the region, Cincinnati Works has helped residents overcome the effects of the Great Recession and capitalize on the opportunities most present in the area. The organization’s reach has expanded to now benefit businesses throughout the tri-state with a dynamic workforce.
From Cincinnati Works