Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce Co-Hosts a City-Wide Job Fair
By Gina Fitzpatrick
CEO, Executive Director Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce
In this day and age, there is one thing that’s certain, employers are seeking qualified and motivated employees, and Paso Robles is no exception!
To fill that need, your Chamber combined forces with Paso Robles Main Street Association, Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, and the City of Paso Robles to connect job seekers with businesses that are hiring during our first combined city-wide Job Fair.
On Jul. 13, from 9 to 11 a.m., the Downtown City Park was filled with booths, tents, and potential employees. From wineries, hotels, and restaurants to technology and manufacturing, over 80 businesses represented a variety of industries and offered positions from entry to executive levels. Now more than ever, employers are interested in investing in future employees, providing training, and looking into alternative working environments such as flexible hours or working from home.
Response to the event was overwhelmingly positive, according to a survey sent to all businesses that were in attendance. When asked how many potential job seekers they met during the event, over 80 percent had spoken with anywhere from 9-20+ individuals, and 100 percent had made some form of contact with a possible employment candidate. Additionally, nearly 85 percent said they will potentially have filled at least one position as a result of the Paso Robles Job Fair.
Was the Job Fair a success? 97 percent of the participating businesses think so and support the four organizations coming together again to host additional job-related events, and 100 percent said they are likely to recommend that other businesses with job openings participate in future job fairs.
We received encouraging feedback from participants. Here is what one business owner shared, “I thought it was a well-executed event. I enjoyed meeting other companies who are in the same position, lack of a labor force.”
Another business representative stated, “We got to meet a lot of other employers and company reps. Many did not know our company existed, so it was nice to have a chance to introduce our business to the area.”
What about the potential employees? Did they see the value? One such job seeker let us know of the benefits of her attendance at the job fair: she started her new position on Aug. 16! Armed with her resume and a pen, she visited a variety of booths and made personal contact with her new employer. Success stories like this assure us that connecting people is still one of the Chamber’s main priorities.
In addition to the job fair, the Chamber maintains a Job Listings portal where member businesses can post employment opportunities. While posting is a benefit of Chamber membership, all in the community are invited to visit the site and connect with future employers. You can find the portal by visiting the homepage of the Chamber’s website pasorobleschamber.com.
