The Village of Alsip will attempt to help job seekers in February.
The village, in cooperation with the Alsip Park District, will host its third annual job fair Feb. 16 at Apollo Park, 12521 S. Kostner. Prior to the job fair, the village also will hold a resume building workshop 8 p.m.-10 p.m. Feb. 9 also at Apollo Park.
Last year’s job fair was successful for both employers and job seekers, according to Alsip Trustee Kevin Michaels, who is responsible for organizing the event.
Michaels worked on key details of both events with Jeannette Huber, Alsip Park District director of parks and recreation..
“It is a true pleasure to work with another Alsip organization for the benefit of the local community,” he said. “Our goal is to have any Alsip resident who needs a job to find one. This is an opportunity to work in the community that they live, and having a short commute to work is beneficial for the business and the worker.”
This year’s job fair is expected to top last year’s event, with over 30 employers looking for potential job candidates. The 2015 event hosted 23 employers.
Its popularity in the local community keeps the event growing larger in both employers and employees every year, Michaels said.
Last year’s fair hosted 187 people in search of employment; however, over 190 Alsip residents are expected to attend the fair this year, Michaels said.
As a service to the community, there will be no charge to any business or resident for attending or displaying places of business. Businesses can rent tables through the village and display their open positions within their companies, meet face-to-face with candidates and hold mini interviews on the spot.
Some businesses looking for employees at the job fair will be: Metro-South Hospital, IBEW Neca technical Institute, Sertoma Service Organization and G C America Inc., among many others.
“When I ran for office with Mayor Patrick Kitching, we ran on a job platform . . . ,” Michaels said. “It is an honor to give back to the people who elected us and give them a chance at a good job.”
The resume building class also be organized and ran by Michaels. At this free event, Alsip residents can meet to gain advice from local human resource professionals on how to update their resume, as well as how to properly format one.
“This is a great way to update your resume before the job fair,” Michaels said.
Kelly White is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.