More than 40 employers will accept applications Wednesday at the Workforce Development Resource Center’s Job Fair 2000 in Ironton.

Sunday, June 04, 2000

More than 40 employers will accept applications Wednesday at the Workforce Development Resource Center’s Job Fair 2000 in Ironton.

Ironton’s newest manufacturer, Liebert Corp., will be one of the featured companies at the fair.

Other companies that will set up tables and accept resumes range from home health agencies and local manufacturers to Buckeye Steel, said Jane Craddock, resource center job developer.

"There will be a variety of employers, with most hiring at above minimum wage," Ms. Craddock said.

This year’s job fair – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Ohio University Southern Campus’s Riffe Center – is the resource center’s second.

Last year’s event attracted many companies and hundreds of job seekers – something the center hopes to expand upon this year, Ms. Craddock said.

"We hope to continue to have these annually," she said. "What we wish to accomplish is to offer employment opportunities for area people due to the loss of jobs."

Local employment is on the increase, considering Liebert’s move into Ironton and other economic development efforts, but job recovery takes time and job fairs are one way to help, Ms. Craddock said.

The job fair will also attract industry interest from out of town, because employers attending the fair will see firsthand Ironton’s strong workforce, she added.

Workforce Development Resource Center employment adviser Bill King said officials at the job fair will be sensitive to former Intermet-Ironton Iron workers’ needs but all job seekers will benefit from meeting employers at the fair.

"We’re trying to get those companies in here that are in the hiring mode," King said.

Last year’s fair sparked positive feedback, and many job offers, so this year’s should follow that trend, he said.

The resource center has a waiting list of employers that want to come to the fair this year, he added.

Companies that will attend the fair include local firms under expansion, telemarketing centers in the Tri-State, the Ohio Highway Patrol, Amazon.com, STAR Community Justice Center, River Valley Health System and United Airlines call center representatives, King said.

"We’re looking at a cross section, primarily," he said.

There will be three to four companies from Columbus that pay $10 to $15 an hour.

"And there are a couple of companies from Warren County coming because they have work but don’t have the people," Ms. Craddock said.

The job fair is free to the public but those seeking jobs are encouraged to bring plenty of resumes, she said.

There also will be job applications at each job fair booth.

"Resumes are not a requirement, but we will take resumes if a company is not there. I would like to see people, if they’re applying for job, to come dressed like they’d go for an interview," Ms. Craddock said. Some companies will interview while at the fair and, besides, it is a first impression kind of event, she said.

Job Fair 2000 is an overall effort of the WDRC, OUSC, Ohio Bureau of Employment Services and other agencies.

The WDRC is located at 123 N. Third St. in Ironton.