For Immediate Release
Date: June 27, 2016
Contact: Courtney Greene
Office:515-281-9646
Cell: 515-423-3210
E-mail: courtney.greene@iwd.iowa.gov
You’re Hired! One Door—Many Paths Career Fair attracts hundreds of job seekers to Prairie Meadows Conference Center
Altoona, IA— As part of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) One Door—Many Paths Career Fair, hundreds of Iowans shined their shoes and updated their resumes in the hopes of finding a fulfilling career opportunity. A statewide workforce conference was also held concurrently at Prairie Meadows.
More than 60 employers participated in the one day Career Fair which featured jobs in the six major workforce sectors: financial, advanced manufacturing, health care, information technology, skilled trades and logistics.
For job seekers who did not have access to reliable transportation, Prairie Meadows and the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) teamed up to provide transportation and shuttle services to job seekers.
The first half hour of the job fair was open to National Guard and Reserve, transitioning service members, Veterans, and their family members. Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend, also a Veteran of the United States Air Force, thanked Iowa employers for their participation and for their willingness to work with government, public and private sector organizations. Director Townsend urged job seekers to stay encouraged, “When an individual’s position is eliminated or a person is laid off, it’s devastating not only for the employee, but for his or her family. WIOA helps provide support and resources so that job seekers receive the appropriate tools and resources when they need them to get back into the workforce.”
This career fair was a collaborative effort including the following organizations: IowaWORKS, International Association of Workforce Professionals, WIOA, DMACC, Home Base Iowa, and Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services.
Through WIOA legislation, Iowa Workforce Development, Iowa Department of Education, Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and Department for the Blind work closely to address workforce issues across the state. These agencies are also collaborating with the Department of Human Services, Department of Corrections, Department on Aging, and Economic Development Authority in groundbreaking cross-agency effort to streamline workforce services in Iowa. Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) and the Iowa chapter of the Association of Iowa Workforce Professionals are also contributing partners to the One Door—Many Paths, a WIOA partners’ conference.
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