Jared Taylor, 20, Chehalis, shakes hands with Greg Christiansen, of the Iron Workers Apprenticeship Program during the Centralia College Job Fair on Wednesday afternoon at the Michael W. Smith Gymnasium in Centralia. "We are hiring like crazy, it's so busy we can't get enough," said Christiansen.
Job seekers and vendors fill the Michael W. Smith Gymnasium on the Centralia College campus for the 2014 Job Fair on Wednesday afternoon in Centralia.
A vendor walks her supplies out the door after the Centralia College Job Fair at the Michael W. Smith Gymnasium on Wednesday in Centralia.
Douglas McClure, 18, Chehalis, fills out an application as he walks around the Centralia College Job Fair on Wednesday afternoon at the Michael W. Smith Gymnasium in Centralia.
Centralia College’s gym was the hot spot on campus Wednesday as the annual Centralia College job fair took place, bringing job seekers and companies looking to fill positions together.
Several agencies and companies from around Lewis County and beyond presented information and connected with people seeking jobs, with about 400 people having taken advantage of the free event.
The fair was about people needing to fill positions as much as it was about connecting unemployed people with a possible job, and one sector taking advantage of that was the law enforcement field. The Washington State Patrol, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement all sent representatives to the event and attracted significant interest.
Two officers from the Bellevue Police Department made the one and a half-hour drive to the college. Officers Shannon Leahy and Dan Finan said their agency is trying to fill 20 positions over the next year as several retirements are coming up — and Centralia is a big pool due to the college’s criminal justice program.
“For awhile we had the recession where we weren’t really hiring, and now it’s different,” Finan said. “We’re really trying to recruit anywhere we can.”
Some agencies that attended the job fair didn’t immediately have jobs they could offer, but rather lended their services to help people prepare for jobs in that career field. Take Riverside Fire Authority, for example — the area’s largest fire department stands to actually lose several jobs amid a budget reduction, but that didn’t stop Assistant Chief Rick Mack and crew from giving guidance to those who asked for it.
Mack said he wanted to help people make an informed decision and arm them with the tools they need to become a successful firefighter anywhere they might apply.
“We’re not seeking applicants, but we’re here to help anyone looking for a fire service career and give them some information on what they will need to do so,” Mack said.
In all, representatives from more than 50 companies or agencies in a variety of career fields ranging from healthcare and warehousing to finance and carpentry were present.
Centralia College sophomore Josh Hatman and his friends visited the job fair hoping to take advantage of the opportunity to connect with a variety of possible employers. Hatman said from the initial look of the job fair, more local companies and agencies were represented than in times past.
“It looks like there’s a good selection of local employment here,” Hatman said. “We’re just here to drop off some resumes and see what we can find.”
The job fair, open to the community, attracted people of all ages, many of whom included adults beyond the initial college age years. Hatman noticed such and also said that despite Lewis County’s economy improving, there remains a crowded field of all ages vying for gainful employment.
“We’re competing with adults for the same jobs, and it makes it kinda tough for young college students to find work,” Hatman lamented.
Just down the aisle, recent Centralia College graduate Fabrice Fondjo said he wanted to find a job in an engineering-related field. He had spoken with representatives from Bradken Foundry in Chehalis and Tacoma Power, and said he appreciated the opportunity to make inroads that could benefit him as time goes on.
“It’s good to have that conversation and make that connection,” Fondjo said.
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Christopher Brewer: (360) 807-8235
