Suzette Cook
Employers from healthcare, service, retail and the City of Gainesville will be on hand at the upcoming 2021 Community Job and Resource Fair.
The outdoor event is set for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 24 at the GNV Commons (100 SW 1st Ave.) in downtown Gainesville. The Partnership for Strong Families (PSF) is sponsoring the event designed to meet the growing demand for workers.Â
According to Cherie Kelly, manager of the PSF resource center, 20 companies and services have already signed up and there is room for about 30 more as of Monday morning.
“We have 17 employers and three community resources agencies already signed up,” Kelly said. “And three of those are legal, voting, and employment support agencies.”
Kelly listed Regal movies, International Diamond Center, Cleaning Genie and Hotel Indigo in Celebration Pointe as some of the employers looking to hire.
The list also includes Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, MARC Radio Group, Mainstreet Daily News, Education Station & Preschool and Ross Dynamic Medical Solutions.
Examples of agencies that help support the employment process include Santa Fe College which has a Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) grant that offers financial assistance for parents who attend classes and Community Spring, an organization that partners with fair chance employers who employee people who have had a challenging background involving poverty or incarceration.
“We have a good amount of healthcare, City of Gainesville, service industry, one retail,” Kelly said. “The City of Gainesville represents so many jobs from maintenance to administration.”
After meeting with the Gainesville Chamber of Commerce, Kelly said she is hearing trends in the area about the job market that are mirroring what is happening nationally: “The message they convey is that employers in the service and warehouse industry have so many positions they are trying to fill.”
Kelly was sending out another round of requests to employment support agencies on Monday as well.
“Community resource agencies help address social barriers,” she said. “Housing, childcare, transportation, mental health and stress management are a part of that.”
The event will be held outdoors to accommodate COVID-19 precautions, Kelly said.
Businesses interested in participating in the event can register online by May 20.
A table and chair will be available to the first 35 businesses or organizations to register. Organizers are also providing free wifi and free parking.