Alachua County holds career fair in Gainesville
The push for employment comes amid a recent upward trend in unemployment
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners held a career fair Wednesday.
The fair was held in partnership with CareerSource, a local job center that helps locals with job searches and career support and training.
“The main goal today is to match people looking for work with positions within the county,” said CareerSource CEO Phyllis Marty. “Alachua County has 24 departments and there are many positions open. So we’re looking to have job seekers come in and talk with people from each of those departments and try and get them jobs.”
Departments with job openings range from the fire department, to animal services, to solid waste. About 20 of Alachua County’s 24 departments were represented.
Turnout exceeded expectations, nearly doubling a recent job fair in a different county, according to county officials. There were an estimated 60 people that attended before noon.
Jason Flynt is an Equal Opportunity Analyst for Alachua. He told WCJB the recent trend in unemployment and the current financial conditions have sparked the push to help locals seek jobs.
“We always have a sense of urgency especially when it comes to getting a vacant position filled,” Flynt said. “Currently, we try to get the best candidates that are available to fill our positions. We are aware that unemployment is slowly creeping up and that’s why we have these types of events.”
Flynt added the hope is that Alachua County job seekers will see the opportunities at home, and choose to stay local in their job search.
“We would like to educate the community on our career opportunities that are available within our various departments,” Flynt said. “We will also like to encourage them to think of Alachua County Board of County Commissioners when they are seeking a career opportunity just in case they are looking for any type of career transitions or if they are interested in helping the community.”
If you are seeking employment, the county urges you to visit www.alachuacounty.us for more information.
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