Approximately 2,000 local residents, along with Mayor Vincent Gray, D.C. Councilman Michael Brown and GW President Steven Knapp, attended a job fair July 20 at GW’s Marvin Center featuring recruiters from 10 local universities and hospitals.
The job fair was sponsored by GW, the D.C. Department of Employment Services and the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Participating employers included GW Hospital, Howard University and Hospital, American University, Catholic University, George Mason University, Georgetown University and Hospital, Trinity University, University of Maryland, College Park, and the University of the District Columbia.
“I’m proud and delighted that our local universities, led by George Washington University—my alma mater—are doing their part to help the citizens of the District of Columbia find and secure good, sustainable employment,” said Mr. Gray. “Putting unemployed residents back to work is my top priority, and collaborating with area universities and local businesses through job fairs of this type presents a golden opportunity for District job seekers to meet face to face with potential employers who have immediate openings available to qualified applicants—in many cases, on the spot.”
The idea for the fair originated at the mayor’s Job Creation and Economic Summit last December, where Dr. Knapp pledged to work with other consortium leaders to address unemployment in the District. According to a study commissioned by the consortium, universities in the District are a major source of local jobs and income. Universities also are a major regional employer, accounting for approximately 68,117 full- and part-time jobs with $3 billion in total payroll expenditures. They indirectly support a total of 124,895 full-time jobs, and additional regional revenue from university-generated jobs totals $3.6 billion.
“D.C. universities play a vital role in promoting the economic health of our community,” said Dr. Knapp. “I am delighted to see our universities coming together to connect D.C. residents with opportunities to work both at the universities and at their hospitals.”
A wide range of positions were advertised at the job fair, including opportunities in administration, general services, information technology, food services and hospital support staff. There were also six job readiness workshops available for job seekers wishing to brush up on interview skills and get advice on making a great first impression, as well as computer stations for attendees to update their resume or apply for jobs on the spot.
Odessa Williams came from Hyattsville, Md., to attend the job fair after a friend gave her a flyer on the event. Although she has more than 15 years of experience as a cook, Ms. Williams hasn’t found work for almost two years, so she said she came “praying” she could find a job.
“This was my first time coming to a job fair, and it’s interesting,” she said. “There are a lot of different people here to meet, and the employers actually have time to talk with you.”
Ms. Williams, who applied for a few positions at the fair, said the job workshop reminded her about the importance of making a strong first impression.
“It brought back some of the things I already knew but inspired me to use again,” she said. “The workshop really made me think about what to do when I next meet with employers.”