Fall Job Fair fills Centene Center

The 2016 Fall Job Fair brought out a steady crowd of job seekers Wednesday who were given the opportunity to meet face-to-face with area employers in the hope of landing a new job or career.

The bi-annual event is sponsored by ODACS Inc. and presented by the Daily Journal/Monster and J98.

“The Daily Journal and J98 give businesses a chance to tap into a valuable talent pool,” said Shelley Mueller, job fair coordinator. “The Job Fair provided them a place where they can find qualified candidates. There were a lot of attendees and people were very much prepared to fill out the applications and interview in preparation of their new jobs.”

A total of 31 employers had booths at the job fair and the walkway appeared to be densely packed with job seekers most of the morning and continued into the afternoon.

“I haven’t had a chance yet to count any of the registrations yet, but both the job seekers and employers felt this was a great way to come in contact with each other,” Mueller said. “There were all kinds of businesses that participated in the fair, from BJC/Parkland Health Center to Mineral Area College, US Tool, Goodwill and Cap America. Some businesses — such as Servpro — have harder to fill positions and are always looking for people.”

Other businesses that participated in the fair included Talent Force, BJC Behavioral Health, Pyramid Group, Belleview Valley, Presbyterian Children’s Home, Mercy Hospital, SEMO Mental Health, First State Community Bank, StarTek, A-1 Home Care, Missouri Department of Corrections, Mineral Area CPRC, Mineral Area College, Advantage Nursing, Lee Mechanical, Farmington Fire Department, TG Missouri, The Pisa Group, Valley Spring Youth Ranch, Sunny Hill Inc., Versa Tech Inc. and Pro Service.

As at past job fairs, the Missouri Career Center of Park Hills provided computers so online applications could be completed onsite. Also, representatives with the Disabled Veterans Department of Economic Development Division, L.I.F.E. Inc., Mingo Job Corps and Dress 2 Impress were on hand.

“We had a great time at the Fall Job Fair and are planning to hold another job fair in the spring,” Mueller said. “There hasn’t been a specific date set as of yet, but I encourage people to keep watching the Daily Journal for the latest information.”

Thirty-one area businesses and scores of job seekers took part in the Fall Job Fair held Wednesday at the Centene Center in Farmington. The bi-annual event is sponsored by ODACS Inc. and presented by the Daily Journal/Monster and J98.

Kevin Jenkins is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be reached at 573-518-3614 or kjenkins@dailyjournalonline.com