Wilmington, DE – The Delaware Department of Labor (DE DOL) is sponsoring several job fairs in September and October in an effort to help job seekers and employers fill the thousands of job opportunities that are available across the state.
DE DOL is hosting the next multi-employer Job Fair on Thursday, Sept. 30 at Glasgow Regional Park 2275 Pulaski Hwy, Newark, DE from 11 am – 2pm, where more than a dozen employers from various industries are scheduled to take applications and conduct on-the-spot interviews. Prospective employees are encouraged to arrive with completed resumes, writing samples and photo identification.
The upcoming event follows a successful Multi-employer Job Fair cohosted with DE DOL and the City of Dover that attracted 76 employers and about 600 job seekers.
“As our Business Services Unit collaborates with employers in conducting job fair events to fill their job openings, we are thrilled at the amount of job seekers who have come out to participate in these events,” said Barry Butler, Operations Administrator of the Division of Employment & Training (DET), DE DOL.
The event, held at the Blue Hen Corporate Center in Dover on September 16, attracted employers from a variety of fields. It included healthcare, warehousing & logistics, manufacturing, transportation, and correction jobs.
“This is a great example of DOL’s efforts in collaborating with Delaware Businesses and assisting employers with their hiring needs,” said Richard Fernandes, Division of Employment & Training Director.
Employers with booths at the events were Delmarva Corrugated, Wal-Mart Distribution Center, Kraft Heinz, Hannover Foods, USA Fulfillment, and other state and local government opportunities.
“I am so overwhelmed with candidates that it may take me two weeks to get through all the applications,” said Claudia M. Buxton, HR Manager of Delmarva Corrugated Packaging. “I have not seen that many candidates at a recruiting table in years. The enthusiasm for careers at Delmarva Corrugated was refreshing.”
As a first time participant, USA Fulfillment needed to fill 30 positions. The simple and organized set up made it easier to find job candidates, said USA Fulfillment President BJ Collier said.
“The strong attendance for the event helped us meet over 30 candidates and we received applications from many of them. We were able to have steady traffic at our table for at least two hours,” Collier said.
Added Emma Wethered, Staff Assistant at the Office of U.S. Senator Thomas R. Carper: “Many people showed interest (in our internship), and I think that they were glad to learn more about what our office does. It’s an event we would like to attend next year.”
Many job seekers were like Miles Brown, a retired police officer from New Jersey, who now lives in Delaware and was looking for job opportunities.
Jennifer Jurczak, who coordinated the event was “outstanding and very professional. Ms. Jurczak made me feel as if she knew me for years,” said Brown, who has an interview with a security position.
“We spoke about what job opportunities were available within the DOL. Ms. Jurczak took the time to answer all my questions and review my training portfolio with my resume. She made me feel very comfortable.”
There are more opportunities to attend upcoming job fairs statewide where people can go in person to find employment. Events are set for Sept. 29, 30 and Oct. 18. For more information on these and other job fairs, go to joblink.delaware.gov/events.
About the Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Employment & Training (DET)
DET operates a statewide labor exchange system serving both employers and job seekers. It also administers 15 different federal and state-funded employment and training programs that assist individuals with social, economic, educational, and other barriers to make the transition to employment.
