Hundreds of Southlanders looking for work turned out Friday for a job fair at South Suburban College in South Holland.
Dubbed a “hiring event” by U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-2nd, who served as host, the event drew 500 job seekers, according to a release from Kelly’s office.
Participating employers indicated they were serious about offering jobs.
“With hiring events, I am able to conduct on-the-spot interviews with potential employees,” said Rebecca Schwetzer, a general manager for Chipotle Mexican Grill, a restaurant chain. “Opportunities within our company are booming and we are definitely looking to hire on a lot of people.”
Tamika Lee, a regional store leader for Insure One, said her company was in a similar mode.
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“We are able to hire on a lot of employees that we meet during hiring events,” she said. “It gives us the chance to perform introductory interviews and fill a lot of open positions.”
“I already have interviews set up from people I have met here today,” said Gloria Losee, a human resource manager with Nielsen Bainbridge Group, which designs and manufactures picture frames and framing products.
“This event is beneficial because all the employers have active job openings,” said Mary Paleologos, spokeswoman for Kelly’s office. “A number of attendees from our last two hiring events have called our office to let us know that they found jobs at our hiring event.
“All across the country, especially in the fields of manufacturing and technology, a lot of companies with job openings can’t find skilled workers to fill the jobs. Our job fairs have been extremely successful in bringing together employers and qualified candidates.”
This was the third year the event was held at South Suburban College.
“We have many qualified people in the south suburbs and on the South Side of Chicago,” Paleologos said. “It’s just a matter of connecting them to employers with job openings.”
Kelly White is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.