In a tough job market, one of the most difficult parts of the job search is making the connection with an employer. That was made easier for nearly 175 job seekers who connected with 24 employers in one location at a recent career fair at Pikeville College.

Job seekers visited employer booths throughout the day at the career fair in the college’s Booth Auditorium in February and spoke with representatives from 24 area employers such as Affiliate Computer Services, Wendy’s and WYMT-TV, and colleges and training providers such as Big Sandy Community and Technical College (BSCTC), Pikeville College and National College of Business and Technology (NCBT).

In an effort to draw job seeker interest and provide convenience for employees several partners created a unique cooperative network to organize the career fair. Partners included JobSight, NCBT, BSCTC, Pikeville College, Big Sandy Area Community Action Partnership (BSACAP), and the State Office of Employment and Training and the State Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.

Participants said the idea paid off.

“It’s been outstanding. It’s really good for the community,” said Ernest Napier, a recruiter for ACS, a Fortune 500 company that employs 700 local people at a customer support center in the Mossy Bottom Business Park near Pikeville.

Napier said he was pleased with the turnout and the applicants that approached the company’s booth.

Job seekers such as Grover Harris also said they felt holding a large combined career fair helped provide more options to choose from. Harris said he is unemployed because he is not physically able to work as a truck driver anymore, so he was looking for a career change.

Harris said he had found one or two leads at the career fair. His wife was able to talk to some of the colleges and other agencies about training that may help her.

“I think this is good for the people and for the community,” Harris said.

David Knight , Pike County JobSight Business Services representative, said JobSight was aware some of the other partners involved liked to hold career fairs in the spring semester and suggested a partnership.

“What we decided was, as opposed to having three or four individual career fairs, we would do one large one,” he said.

Having a combined career fair makes things more convenient for job seekers and employers and provides both a bigger pool to choose from, Knight said.

In organizing the career fair the planners went out of their way to make it as comprehensive as possible, including every one with a job opening, Knight said.

“We wanted job seekers to know that everyone in the area who is hiring is here,” Knight said.

In addition to a wide array of employer booths, JobSight and some of the partners in the career fair also provided information about training and educational services at the career fair.

JobSight provided information about the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) training, job search and employment services it provides for adults and youth. Information regarding other programs like Work Certified, a three week work readiness program provided through JobSight, was also available, Knight said.

“The main goal was to bring in job seekers and match them with jobs,” Knight said, but added that JobSight wanted to make sure job seekers are aware of all JobSight has to offer and of the educational and training opportunities available in the area.

“We wanted people to know that these jobs are out there and if they are missing qualifications for these jobs, this is how they get those qualifications for those jobs,” he said.

The Pike County JobSight is part of the JobSight Network of Workforce Centers, which is administered in 23 eastern Kentucky counties by Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP). Under contract with EKCEP BSACAP hosts JobSight locations and provides WIA services in Pike, Floyd, Johnson, Martin and Magoffin Counties.

Other major partners in the effort said it was a good opportunity to tell people about the services they offer.

Ron Damron, Pikeville College vice president for student services, said the school was happy to host the career fair.

“Pikeville College is really here for the community,” Damron said, adding that the college felt that a combined career fair that meant job seekers did not have to “run all over creation” to find a job would be a good thing for the community.

“It’s tremendously easier to have everything together,” Damron said.

Donna Dye, NCBT’s Career Center director, said pooling resources made sense because all of the partners had the same goals as NCB.

“We wanted to be a part of giving students and the community access to as much job information and educational information as possible,” Dye said. “We’re all in it together.”

For more information on JobSight Business Solutions services available to employers contact Crawford Blakeman at 606-436-5751 or visit www.jobsight.org.