PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Chamber of Commerce is hoping to connect those seeking jobs with employers seeking workers.
One tool is the annual career fair, which on Thursday saw an increased number of employers than in recent years.
"It's larger than we've had in the last three years," June Roy-Martin, vice president of member services for the chamber, said. "We are hoping with some of the layoffs and closures we can match the employees with employers."
The chamber has been holding the job fair for a number of years at the Berkshire Hills Country Club. This year, Roy-Martin said there are 52 employers looking for workers with an array of skills and education levels covering the entire county. From manufacturing to banking to college, hundreds of job seekers were able to see what is available.
"It's very diverse," she said, saying that just an hour into the event there was a "steady flow" of job seekers browsing. "We feel like we've covered a lot of bases."
The fair typically draws several hundred and Roy-Martin said she will be following up with employers to see how many people were actually hired because of the fair. She said there are a number of employers who haven't exhibited in a few years which are back exhibiting.
"The overall goal is to connect the unemployed with the employers who are hiring," Roy-Martin said.
An additional bonus to the event is that it allows human resource managers from various companies to network with others.
Berkshire County will be impacted by business closing including SABIC relocating its headquarters to Texas, and the closure of Macy's and Best Buy at the Berkshire Mall, Old Country Buffet, Price Chopper in North Adams, and others. But, businesses leaders say there are still more than a thousand jobs unfilled.
Roy-Martin said two years ago the career fair saw an increased number of job seekers following the closure of North Adams Regional Hospital.
The career fair hopes to offer opportunities for those needing jobs as well as those looking for a change or better opportunities to further their career.
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