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WILKES-BARRE — Those looking for positions or more information about the construction industry are invited to attend the Pennsylvania CareerLink building and trades industry event and job fair Wednesday.
The event, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at CareerLink’s 32 E. Union St. location, will feature employers and training providers from the construction industry, including Mericle Construction Inc., Flagger Force, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Fortis Institute, Johnson College and more.
Tracy Kleban, business services representative supervisor at CareerLink, said it will be the second annual event for this particular industry.
“This event will highlight the building trades and construction industry,” she said. “There will be a lot of opportunities for individuals to get into the industry, as training providers will be there as well, so even those thinking about it will have the opportunity to understand and learn what it takes and what skills required.”
Last year, the organization began holding career fairs throughout the year that focused on certain industries rather than having several larger events. Some of the other career fairs in specific fields include healthcare, retail and customer service, logistics and transportation and staffing agencies.
Kleban said while regional career fairs are necessary and helpful, these smaller events help businesses connect with like-minded, industry-focused individuals.
“It’s proven to be beneficial to the companies involved,” she said.
Kleban also added the events allow employees from similar businesses to network with one another.
“It gives employers an opportunity to network between one another, because they all have pains and accolades within the industry,” she said. “It’s an opportunity for them to speak one another and bounce ideas off each other. It’s a great networking event for all involved.”
The first part of the event will feature a question-and-answer session with representatives offering information about their companies. The second half of the event will give job seekers a chance to meet company representatives and apply for positions.
Kleban said the setup of these career-specific events gives potential employees an upper hand in the job market.
“You don’t get that many opportunities when job searching in which a panel of employers pitch to you why you should work for them,” she said.
Kleban said it’s not necessary to register for the event, but applicants should come prepared.
“In my opinion, those seriously looking for a career opportunity should come ready for an interview,” she said. “I can’t stress that enough.”
She said attendees should bring copies of their resumes or they can use the printers and copiers free of charge at the CareerLink office. She said CareerLink also offers courtesy resume reviewing services to help job seekers put their best foot forward.
“This is an opportunity to meet with the majority of decision makers in a company, including (human resources) representatives,” she said. “One complaint I always hear when people apply for jobs is, ‘I don’t even get an interview.’ We’re eliminating that step, and you’re directly in front of them. The sky’s the limit.”
Kleban said all of the positions available at the career fair will also be featured on the state’s job searching site, jobgateway.pa.gov.
The next event, the logistics and transportation career fair, will be held Wednesday, March 22. Pennsylvania CareerLink is currently seeking vendors for this event. Businesses interested should contact Kleban at 570-822-1101 ext. 230 or by email at [email protected].