MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Workforce Development Board (MCWDB) is teaming up with the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce, Salinas United Business Association and the Small Business Development Center for a virtual Retail Industry Job Fair on Wednesday, Oct. 20, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
As the region continues to re-open, the job fair will help employees find opportunities to return to work and help small and large retail businesses recruit employees to support their operations during the busy fall and winter months and beyond.
“We’re gearing up for a big holiday rush,” said Paul Farmer, executive director of the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce. “We want to ensure that businesses have enough staff in place to serve our visitors.”
The retail industry suffered losses in Monterey County during the Covid-19 pandemic, with many downturned areas and small businesses bearing much of the area’s retail losses. Industry professionals are relieved that the sector is seeing a comeback in 2021.
“We are very excited about the recovery of the retail industry and the return of old and new customers returning to retail businesses,” said Monica Lal, interim CEO of the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce.
The MCWDB is now using the Premier Virtual online hiring event platform. The platform is designed to bridge the gap between technology and the human experience and enables job seekers to chat with employers, submit resumes and apply for positions during the virtual event.
“We’re expecting to be back to normal soon and want to encourage both job seekers and our local retail employers to join us on Oct. 20. Virtual job fairs have become very popular, as they maximize the time spent by both employers and job seekers when it comes to recruiting,” said MCWDB Executive Director Chris Donnelly. “We want to make it as easy as possible for our local community to connect. We’re in the business of removing barriers to employment and utilizing this new technology helps us do just that.”
Retail employers who are interested in participating are asked to contact MCWDB Business Services Manager Jerry Hernandez at 831-755-5393 or he*********@co.us.
Job seekers are asked to register for the event in advance at https://pvapi.premiervirtual.com/s/e8QYG8.
