The annual St. Joseph County Job Fair, typically held on the campus of Glen Oaks Community College each spring, won’t be held this year. However, the GOCC Health and Career Education Fair will be held on Tues., March 28.
Planners have contemplated the future of the SJC Job Fair over the last several years due to the decline in jobseekers attending the event, which is co- hosted by Michigan Works, Southwest!, the SJC Department of Health and Human Services and Glen Oaks Community College.
“Last year there were more employers at the job fair than there were jobseekers,” said Val Juergens, executive director of communications and marketing at Glen Oaks. “We marketed the event heavily, but the reality is that unemployment is low and with changes in technology over the years one can go directly to business websites to learn about and apply for jobs. Applicants can target companies that are a good fit for them and with an increased number of remote jobs, especially since Covid, location may be less of a factor.”
“There are still many opportunities for job matching for employers and jobseekers at Michigan Works! Southwest,” said Shawn DeYoung, business services coordinator for the firm. “Jobseekers can visit our service center or our website: www.miworkssw.org for Employer of the Day opportunities, and employers can reach out to our business Services Team at sdeyoung@upjohn.org to assist in making successful talent matches.”
Historically, the event was held at the college and was intended to attract Glen Oaks workforce-ready students in search for jobs just prior to graduation. “The campus demographics have changed as over half of our students are still in high school taking dual-enrollment classes for college credit,” said Juergens. “Of the other half, the majority of our traditional students are planning to transfer to four-year institutions to complete their degrees.”
In light of the high demand in the healthcare fields, last year Glen Oaks hosted a Health and Education Career Fair inviting both employers and job seekers who were either interested in healthcare jobs or training in specific healthcare programs. The event was successful, so plans are now underway for the second annual event scheduled for Tuesday, March 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the grand concourse at Glen Oaks Community College. For more information employers and health care educational institutions can register for this event at: glenoaks.edu/business-industry/health-fair.