MCARD Job Fair A Success
Over 50 employers and hundreds of job-seekers took advantage of a job fair at Penn Central Mall this week.
Oskaloosa, Iowa – Looking for a company to work for can be a long and difficult process. At the same time, looking for qualified employees can be a daunting process for companies.
Mahaska County Agricultural and Rural Development (MCARD) and IowaWorks teamed up to host a Job Fair inside Penn Central Mall this week.
Iowa’s unemployment rate currently sits at 3.8% and for Mahaska County that rate is 3.5%, a decrease from last year of 4.2%. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 5.2%.
With unemployment rates that low, and workforce participation rates being the lowest since the 70’s, connecting the right employer and employees is even more important and difficult.
Deann DeGroot, Director of MCARD, talked about how the job fair came about and what the expectations were for the afternoon. DeGroot said that, when the event was initially planned, the hope was that 20 employers would take part in the job fair. Instead, there were 54 employers who took the opportunity to reach out. “It was an outstanding turnout,” said DeGroot.
DeGroot was happy with the attendance at the job fair. No official numbers were kept of those attending, but the center court area and the outlying area were filled with people talking and searching out points of interest.
“We hope to have it [job fair] every year,” said DeGroot.
Employers that Oskaloosa News spoke with agreed that the attendance was very good, and they were pleased with the results.
Steve Dixon is one of those looking for that next employment home. Dixon lost his job when Paslode left Oskaloosa at the end of last year. He’s since opened up his own small business, but wants to find employment that will offer benefits not so easily available for a small business.
Dixon says he can be “a little picky” because he feels he doesn’t have to take the first opportunity that becomes available. “I’m trying to find something that’s right for me and the family.”
