Berkshire Chamber Job Fair Spots Filled Up Fast
 iBerkshires' Wanda Haley explains BerkshireJobs.com to a job seeker at last year's job fair. |
There's so many, that there's no more room for all the potential employers, said Christine Hoyt, director of programs and events at the chamber.
"I had a couple people cancel because they had filled their jobs," said Hoyt. "But I had a waiting list, and I had somebody call today."
The response is a far cry from the situation in Taunton a couple weeks ago, when a long-standing job fair was canceled when only 10 employers signed up to participate.
The economy has been a factor in hiring in the Berkshires over the last few years, but Hoyt said the amount of interest in Thursday's job fair is a contrast to what she's been hearing elsewhere. And it's a big change from a couple years ago when 500 jobseekers mobbed 30 table setups, she said. "This is the first time that it has sold out as quickly as it did in my four years here," she said.
General Dynamics, which is planning to add 200 jobs this year alone, will be present. "People are curious about what positions they have open so there'll probably be a lot of traffic," said Hoyt. "The jobs there are all different levels."
Along with General Dynamics, there will be set ups by well-known companies LTI Smartglass and Interprint, newcomers Onyx Specialty Papers, Wave Systems and InterTech, a Dunkin' Donuts management company looking for managers, seasonal positions, manufacturers, health care and staffing agencies. The regular assortment of financial agencies, education training and career placement also will be on hand.
There's fewer home-type businesses, and more manufacturing and management than last year.
"I'm really encouraged by this list of employers," said Hoyt. "This year, you can really see a difference in the quality and the number of positions."
The job fair runs from 10 to 4 on Thursday, April 14, at Berkshire Hills Country Club, 500 Benedict Road. It is free and open to the public.
Sponsors are BerkshireJobs.com, a sister site of iBerkshires, BerkshireWorks Career Center, Interprint Inc., Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Partnerships in Employment and New England Newspapers.
