Last month, we reported that the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) proclaimed June as American Job Fair Month to create opportunities for the workforce system, the One-Stop Career Centers, and all partners in the American Job Center Network. To promote their services to business customers, ETA encouraged states, local WIBS, and American Job Centers nationwide to sponsor a Job Fair during June. Answering the call, KRA programs went into high gear for the mutual benefit of their jobseeker- and business-customers. We will continue to report on the success of more KRA Job Fairs in June events in the coming weeks.
KRA Hiring Event With Partner Solar City – On June 7, 2012, the KRA/CTWorks Program hosted a major Hiring Event in its Hartford, Connecticut One-Stop Center on behalf of business-partner Solar City, a national leader in solar power and energy efficiency services. Solar City, founded in 2006 and headquartered in San Mateo, California, has locations in 15 other states, including an operation in Hartford that is currently under expansion. With more than 30,000 projects completed and counting, Solar city was founded to provide clean energy and solar panel installation for commercial and residential customers in response to a greater demand for green technologies.
Artie Owens, KRA Business Services Lead, who played host to this important event, brought in a group of pre-screened/pre-qualified candidates to apply for 12 Solar City positions including Auditor, Commercial Construction Manager, Electrician, Installers, Project Manager, Supervisors, and Warehouse personnel… with an average annual salary of $43,000. Solar City’s goal for the hiring event was to provide on-site interviews for the most qualified referrals and to offer a “developmental road map” to selected candidates who could embrace their organizational goals and provide the most immediate impact on the expansion.
Solar City’s Regional Recruiter concluded, “Artie Owens assisted me in sourcing and selecting candidates to make a hiring event we signed up for at CTWorks successful! We were very impressed with many of the candidates we met with this day and plan on making offers to several of them! Artie is a detailed professional who anyone would be lucky to work with!”
KRA Hosts “Winning” Job Fair – On June 12, 2012, the KRA Resource Richmond Business Services Team hosted a day-long Workforce Talent Hiring Event at the Fifth Street Baptist Church, a local partner. To attend this invitation-only event, KRA’s jobseekers had to meet specific criteria: have a current resume, go through a three-step mock interview, and have a “30-second elevator” speech ready to present to the employers. Gary Fletcher, KRA Program Manager, stated, “The selected participants have worked hard throughout the year by attending activities with the City of Richmond’s Pipeline and Resource Workshops…such as First Place Resumes, First Place Interviews, and Career Connect…so they were well prepared for the event. Everyone arrived in appropriate business attire and ready to go to work.”
Fletcher continued, “The event kicked off with Winning the Training Game led by owner Kay Taylor, and associate Susan Burton, who provided instruction on what has become one of the nation’s foremost games dealing with Workforce Development and Training, covering many elements of job-readiness and preparation curricula in an interactive, fun way. The employers participated as judges, which provided them an opportunity to observe the behaviors of the jobseekers prior to one-on-one interviews. The excitement in the room escalated as the participants fielded questions and stacked up their ‘bucks’ towards a win. Following the game, each company provided its own 30-second speech, which included the open positions they needed to fill, with offers to be made after further interviewing and background checks. I have to publicly thank the following KRA Resource business partners for making our event such a success: Accountemps, AT&T, Care Advantage, Inc., CDS Tractor Trailer, College Hunks Hauling Junk, Dominion Power, GTT Enterprises, Hospitality Staffing Solutions, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Office Team, and Sears.
Fletcher concluded, “Although the event was planned and led by KRA Resource and the City of Richmond, Economic Development and Community Development, many other organizations…in addition to those already mentioned…assisted and/or participated in the day’s events. They are integral partners to our continuing success, and include: City of Richmond Workforce Development, City of Richmond Department of Social Services, Richmond Department of Rehabilitative Services, Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, East District Family Resource Center, Job Corps, Knowledge & Leadership Group, Radio One, University of Phoenix Field Experience, Virginia Union University-Sydney Lewis School of Business, and VRC Creations. They all have our sincere appreciation.”
Dr. Boone’s 20+ years’ experience in the industry is extensive and her expertise in private-, public-, and non-profit sector workforce-services organizations is unparalleled, particularly in the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan area.
