Holmes Job Fair proves to be fruitful for all involved

The annual Holmes County Job Fair hosted by Holmes County Job & Family Services and OhioMeansJobs took place April 30 at Harvest Ridge, and the number of employers and job seekers turned out to be everything the organizations hoped it would be.

Lisa Vansickle, program manager with OhioMeansJobs Holmes County, said this year’s turnout was special, with more than five dozen companies and organizations showing up to host a table.

Area high schools allowed prospective students entering the job market to visit, with early release for juniors and seniors. In addition, an invitation was sent out to students at Buckeye Career Center and Ashland Career Center.

Yet a strong percentage of job seekers in attendance were adults.

“We tried to do anything we could to entice any job seekers to explore these many opportunities,” Vansickle said. “It’s a difficult thing right now to find capable employees, and the jobs are definitely out there.”

Holmes County and area businesses provided 64 employer participants to the event, with plenty of well-rounded opportunities available for employment.

“We’re excited because we doubled the number of employees,” Vansickle said, adding that while the employers were great, the most important aspect of the day was bringing in job seekers.

She said many of the businesses that attended offered attractive benefits, bonuses and training to interested prospective employees.

Holmes County Job & Family Services Executive Director Dan Jackson said this is one of the most positive endeavors his organization provides annually, and it was nice to see the influx of employers and job seekers showing up.

“We pulled out all the stops this year,” Jackson said. “This event’s success is a win-win for everyone involved.”

He said young people may not recognize all of the employment opportunities available to them, and that recent legislation is placing a greater emphasis on reaching out to the young adult community to make more connections.

“The goal is to help them see all of these opportunities in front of them, and this event fits in very well with that legislation,” Jackson said. “I commend the area schools for promoting this and making sure their students have an opportunity to be here.”

With plenty of companies attending the affair, there were many chances for job seekers to find their niche and explore what was available to them.

Corianne Kocarek, an organizational development specialist with First Federal Community Bank, said their second year at the job fair is something any company seeking employment should relish.

“We were excited to be here and talk to people,” Kocarek said. “It’s nice to be able to give area people a chance to return to their communities and find employment, and this gives us and everyone here a chance to share their vision and the excitement of finding employment at our respective businesses.”

The job fair wasn’t only for business.

The Holmes County Sheriff’s Office had a presence there, enjoying the opportunity to chat with interested people.

“Our hope is that we are able to target an audience interested in a career in law enforcement,” said Richard Haun, Holmes County Sheriff deputy sheriff. “We’ve tried other avenues, and we are excited to be somewhere that we can make it a little more personable for people and talk to them directly, including providing on-site interviews for qualified candidates who have a strong interest.”

Jackson commended his staff and all of those involved with the planning of this event, saying their hard work is aiding both employers and job seekers.

“We’ve had staff people on this for weeks,” Jackson said. “We put a great deal of thought in how we can get the most out of it, and I appreciate the effort of everyone involved.”

For those in attendance, whether seeker or employer, the day was well worth the effort.