Job fair slated for March 11

    The public is invited and encouraged to attend the largest job fair held in The County in the Gymnasium at Northern Maine Community College on Thursday, March 11, between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.  Hiring representatives from businesses, organizations and government entities from throughout New England, more than 90 percent of which are located in Maine, will be on hand for the event.     At a time when layoffs are making local and regional headlines, 45 businesses currently looking to expand their workforce and hire Aroostook County people to fill vacancies within their organizations will be under one roof at the 13th annual NMCC Job Fair.
    “It really is a win for the employers looking for people, a win for future graduates to secure a job before graduation, a win for those that have been laid off, a win for other individuals looking to make a change in their career path, and a win for NMCC to be able to host such an event,” said Ruth White, regional director for the Early College for ME program, which has been involved in the organization of the job fair for the past several years.  “An event this size takes months to coordinate, and NMCC is proud to be able to host it.  It’s convenient for the businesses as they see over 400 people come through the doors and leave with many resumes and it’s a time saver for students and community members to be able to speak with so many businesses in a short period of time.  If you’re looking for a job, or want to see what skills you need for the job you want, NMCC is the place to be on March 11.”
    According to White, aside from the 45 employers who will be present at the fair, an additional eleven who are unable to attend will be accepting resumes.
    “All of the businesses anticipate hiring within the year and over 40 are seeking people to fill immediate openings.  Since the business people speak with so many people, it is encouraged by them that attendees looking for work bring resumes with them they can leave behind.  There is also an interview area available to the businesses that some plan to take advantage of, so be ready for a possible interview that day as well,” said White.
    Several new businesses will be at the job fair this year, such as FairPoint Communications, Larkin Enterprises, Arundel Machine and Buck Construction, as well as representatives from businesses which provide job placement assistance, such as the Career Center and Tempo Employment Services.
    “Many times people will pigeonhole an organization and think they wouldn’t have the skills to be able to work there.  This job fair allows you to speak directly with recruiters to see what positions they have, what they anticipate and what skills are needed to fill them.  If you find you need to update your skills or need certifications, NMCC and Husson University will each have a table there so you can then speak to the schools to get things started.  Job hunting is not fun and not easy, so we are really trying to help the community out by bringing the businesses all together under one roof.” said White.
    The organizer is hoping that area residents take advantage of having such a large number of employers in one location to learn about the job opportunities available to them.
    “I hope that people in Aroostook County realize this job fair is for them, as well as for future graduates of NMCC, UMPI, UMFK, Husson University and Loring Job Corps.  Some of the positions the employers are looking for do not require a college degree and, of course, others do,” said White.  “We know the economic status is a lot worse this year and layoffs have hit many households that have never been affected before. The job fair here at NMCC offers a wide range of participants who are looking for everything from laborers, skilled precision metal skills, heavy equipment operators, diesel mechanics, nurses, lab techs, manager trainees, truck drivers, IT positions, administrative assistants, construction, plus many more.”