Westchester is job ready! That's the message County Executive Robert P. Astorino, Mount Vernon Mayor Ernie Davis, Senior Pastor of Grace Baptist Church Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, and Mount Vernon Councilwoman Deborah Reynolds delivered recently in announcing the Virtual On-Line Job Fair that will run from Sept. 30 through Oct. 11.
On hand at the press conference were representatives from companies looking to hire immediately for a total of 212 positions.
"Today is a great example of what works best in Westchester. Today we represent a partnership between the county, the City of Mount Vernon, Grace Baptist Church, our entire faith-based community and our private sector all working together with the goal of putting our residents back to work," said Astorino. "We want to make sure that everybody who is willing and able to work can find a job. We are asking all private businesses to register their available jobs with our virtual job fair today and we are thankful to those companies that came forth today to lead this effort."
After visiting with hundreds of job seekers at the Job Readiness Workshop, hosted by Grace Community Development Corporation and Westchester One-Stop Employment Center, the county executive announced the on-line component whereby employers can register their available positions free-of-charge and have access to thousands of qualified workers who are ready to get to work.
"This is refreshing and it gives you hope that the jobs are there," said Ji'mie Lane, 32, a job seeker looking for administrative work who attended the Readiness Workshops. "It's very encouraging that people at the executive level are concerned and showing positive insights."
The Virtual On-Line Job Fair is designed to connect thousands of Westchester County job seekers to Westchester-based businesses and non-profit organizations that are ready to hire qualified and "job ready" candidates for hundreds of available positions. The jobs available through the on-line portal include jobs in sales, retail, IT, accounting, financial services, graphic arts, custodial and more.
Businesses have already begun registering their jobs through the portal. The positions announced Wednesday include seven truck drivers for Unipark Services, 30 cable technicians with Connect One, and Whole Foods is ready to hire 175 workers in their new stores. Applicants interested in these jobs should go to www.westchesterputnamjobfair.com.
Astorino said he believes that by working together we can find jobs for 400 to 500 hundred county residents over the 60 days.
The other participants at the press conference praised the initiative.
"If Mount Vernon or any city similarly situated is going to live up to its creed, it's going to have to understand that we will be judged by what we do for the least of us," said Davis. "The city, the county and the church have banded together for the sole purpose of giving meaning to the lives of so many folks out there who need work. Let me congratulate County Executive Astorino and Pastor Richardson."
"I want to thank the partnership. I want to thank the corporations for making themselves available. I want to thank County Executive Astorino for his sensitivity and for making all of the resources of the county available to us. And I want to thank Ernie Davis, the mayor of the City of Mount Vernon for helping us always," said pastor Richardson.
"I'd like to say a special thanks to County Executive Rob Astorino and Westchester County for helping individuals in need who are looking for jobs, because it is a time when jobs are very scarce. I'm very happy that this initiative has been available to Mount Vernon residents," said Reynolds.
"A job fair without jobs is just a fair. So we are appealing to all companies to list all of their available positions on our website. We have thousands of qualified candidates who are ready to go to work," said Donnovan Beckford, executive director of Westchester One-Stop Employment Center.
If you are "job ready" and seeking to be hired, or if you are an employer in search of skilled professionals, visit www.westchesterputnamjobfair.com today to register.
Photo: County Executive Robert P. Astorino announces the Virtual On-Line Job Fair and is joined by Mount Vernon Mayor Ernie Davis; Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church; Mount Vernon Councilwoman Deborah Reynolds; Bishop C. Nathan Edwers, president of United Black Clergy and pastor of Friendship Worship Church; and job seekers and employers from throughout Westchester County.