Mesquite Works Builds Upon Job Fair Success

By MAGGIE MCMURRAY

Moapa Valley Progress

Local job seekers were met with a host of possibilities at the Mesquite Regional Job Fair, sponsored by Mesquite Works last week. This is the second in a series of quarterly job fairs that the organization plans to host throughout this year. The events are an effort to match job seekers with local businesses looking to hire.

The first job fair was held in February and was a big success. But in an effort to build upon that, organizers made some changes for this fair that had been suggested on evaluation forms submitted by businesses and fair attendees in February.

The most noticeable of the changes was to move the venue from the Eureka Casino to the newly opened Rising Star Sports Ranch Grand Ballroom. This afforded the job fair a much bigger space for more employers.

Another noticeable change was the time of day the fair was held. Past job fairs have taken place during the morning hours, but in an effort to attract shift workers, or those currently in school, this event took place between the hours of 2-6 pm.

Almost all employers that had participated in the past came back again. Several new businesses joined as well, including the Army, Marine Corp, Eagle’s Landing, and Lindi Corporation, to name a few.
Organizer George Gault said, “We have many more businesses participating in this fair than the last one, and more businesses yet that have committed or shown interest in coming to our next fair. We are continuing to grow, which is great.”

The job fairs have proven to be a valuable way to connect companies with prospective employees. “We had 179 people attend the February job fair, out of which 20 walked away with new jobs,” Gault said. “Another 30 people participated in our free resume and interview skill classes, out of which 10 have already found jobs. These numbers show that people are getting employed as a direct result of attending and participating in this event and programs related to this event.”

Mesquite Works Americorps VISTA volunteer Maggie Calhoun agreed. “We are trying to actively incorporate the suggestions we receive on our evaluation sheets to make every job fair bigger and better,” Calhoun said. “The more vendors and prospective employees we have, the more everyone benefits.”
Companies attending the fair were pleased with the opportunity to meet applicants face to face. Lindi Corporation owners Paul and Leanne Chandler were attending the fair for the first time. Their plumbing, heating and air conditioning, and HVAC company has been successful in Mesquite and they are looking to expand into Moapa Valley within the next several months. The Chandlers came to the job fair actively seeking new employees, especially tradesmen with plumbing experience. “The setup here is very good,” Chandler said. “We love the opportunity to meet applicants face to face.”

Job seeking attendees were also positive about the experience. Overton residents Brandon Welcher, Derek Paice, and Kelsey Paice came to check out the opportunities.
“I currently have a job, but I am looking for something that will work into a true career for me,” Welcher said.

Mesquite Works will continue to provide help for job seekers after the fair. Several new trainings and classes are being scheduled. Former CPA and city councilman Rich Green is preparing a class for teens on financial literacy that will be taking place on May 13 at 10 am. Interested teens can pre-register by calling Mesquite Works at 702-613-0695.

The next two quarterly job fairs are scheduled to take place at the Rising Star Sports Ranch on August 16 and November 1 of this year.