First Hiring Event/Transition Fair draws 200 participants

Published 11:36 am Thursday, March 20, 2014

The Clallam County Hiring Event and Transition Fair, held May 8 at the Vern Burton Center, was the first event of its kind. Sponsors included Clallam County Health & Human Services Developmental Disabilities, Washington State DSHS Community Services Office, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and WorkSource.

About 200 people participated, including high school transition students from Neah Bay, Clallam Bay/Sekiu, Forks, Joyce, Port Angeles and Sequim. Participants were able to meet with hiring employers and resource agencies and attend workshops such as Dress for Success, Resume Writing, Succeeding at Your New Job, Alternative Job Interviewing, Money Matters and Work Ethics. These workshops were taught by employment providers Concerned Citizens, Morningside, Pierce Jones & Associates as well as staff from DSHS and WorkSource.

The representative employers hiring at the event were Big Lots, The Home Depot, Catholic Community Services, Express Professionals, Armstrong Marine, Lincoln Street Safeway, Mary Kay, Red Lion, Aramark and the Washington State Department of Corrections. Resource agencies were the Social Security Administration, Peninsula College, Clallam Transit, Mosaic, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Developmental Disabilities Administration, Developmental Disability Council of Washington, Orcas Special Olympics, Clallam County Health & Human Services and Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management, WorkSource, DSHS, Pierce Jones & Associates, Morningside and Concerned Citizens.

The Port Angeles Food Bank, Pepsi and Reath Ellefson made lunch available to all participants and Queen of Angels Catholic Women sponsored a clothing closet providing free clothes to job seekers at the event.

For more information, call Clallam County Department of Health and Human Services, 417-2428.