Friday's Internet Edition, July 03, 2009.
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DavidsonWorks, the county’s workforce development agency, is helping to host a virtual job fair for local employers and job seekers from May 1 through May 30.
The organization is leading a group of six workforce development agencies in the area. Together, as TriadWorks, they will be holding their third virtual job fair to help match employers and job seekers at www.triadworks.org.
“It’s quite convenient for everybody,” said Wanda Montgomery, business associate for the business and industry section of DavidsonWorks. “You don’t have to drive and use up gas to get to the job fair, and the employer doesn’t have to take the time out of a person’s day at work to go set up somewhere.”
As of Monday afternoon, there were 25 employers signed up, Montgomery said. These companies come from a variety of different fields, she said, including staffing agencies with diverse job listings. Each of them has at least one position open.
Job seekers can create a profile with basic information and, starting Friday, browse different virtual booths. There, employers will list a company description, contact information and available job listings. Potential employees then can submit a cover letter and resume to the company, and they can repeat the process for all positions that interest them.
The Web site will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week during the fair. Job seekers can apply for a job at any time, and employers can track how many people have visited their booths and applied for their positions.
“We’re really excited about getting this up for people to use,” Frontz said. “It’s very simple, very effective and very economical.”
During the first virtual job fair, 38 employers received more than 1,000 applications, The second was held in November, in the midst of a plunging economy, and more than 3,000 applications reached only 11 employers. The first two events charged companies for listings, but participation this time will be free in an attempt to stimulate the economy, said Leslie Frontz, DavidsonWorks businesses services specialist.
“What we are trying to do is bring together as many employers who have jobs with as many people who need them as possible,” Frontz said. “We figured free is the way to go, because we want employers to participate.”
TriadWorks also will be accepting new employer listings throughout the month, Frontz said, in case positions become available after the fair begins.
“That way, we can have only online for job seekers those businesses that actually have jobs at the time,” she said, “but at the same time, we can include as many employers as possible.”
For more information, call Wanda Montgomery at 242-2553.
Staff Writer Karissa Minn can be reached at 888-3576 or newsdesk@tvilletimes.com.