Congressman John K. Delaney organized a Western Maryland Job Fair this week that was attended by over 500 people and featured over 60 local employers.
Coverage from the Hagerstown Herald-Mail:
The halls of Kaplan University’s administration building were alive with job seekers Tuesday afternoon.
Hosted by U.S. Rep. John Delaney, a job fair featuring more than 65 public agencies, private companies and educational institutions drew more than 500 people to the Hagerstown-area campus, according to his office.
“We’ve just got a great turnout,” said Delaney, D-Md.
Although unemployment numbers have been on the decline, Delaney said it’s not necessarily great news for middle-class families.
“You see a lot of growth in high-skill, high-pay jobs. You see a lot of growth in low-skill jobs that make it hard to have a decent standard of living and support a family,” he said. “What we’re not seeing is a lot of growth in middle-skilled, traditional middle-class jobs; the kind of jobs that have supported this country across decades.
“That’s one of the problems we have,” Delaney said, noting that the changing economy and increased technology have skewed the underlying story despite low unemployment numbers. “… We have to be smart about our economy here. We have to diversify it, but we have to do the kind of things to attract businesses and support job creation.”
A number of attendees said they were impressed by the number and diversity of organizations represented at the event, which featured booths set up in several large rooms, as well as the hallways inside the building off Crestwood Drive.
“I thought it was very good,” said Tom Gillen of Smithsburg, who wasn’t really looking for a new job, but picked up some job applications for family members and dropped off his résumé with other employers anyway. “It was really well attended.”
Several vendors commended Delaney’s office for organizing the event as a way to reach the community with much-needed employment and educational opportunities.
“Congressman Delaney’s office did a great job publicizing the event,” said Roxanne Ober, admissions and outreach coordinator for the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics near Hagerstown Regional Airport.
Through just the first hour of the three-hour event, Sara Stottlemyer, a human-resources specialist for Trivergent Health Alliance, said she had seen about 40 people, including a number of well-suited candidates.
“Kaplan puts on many job fairs, and Trivergent has always been a part of them, as well as Meritus (Health),” she said. “And I think it’s wonderful that they opened it up to the community this time instead of just their students.”