Businesses searching for help at job fair

Over two dozen employers worked to entice new employees last Friday during a job fair held at Cormack Park.

The job fair was hosted by Wasco Career Awareness Recruitment Education (CARE).

Jose Segovia, from Elwood Staffing in Bakersfield, said he expected traffic to pick up a bit later in the afternoon at the fair.

"It seems that people aren't really looking for jobs these days, especially after covid," Segovia said. "Especially after getting free benefits this year."

Segovia hopes that this trend will end and people will want the satisfaction of doing a good job and getting paid.

"A lot of people have continued working at home," he added. "They don't want to go back to their offices once they've experienced the freedom of setting their own hours."

Elwood Staffing has a number of jobs available but not enough people to fill the jobs. Segovia can be reached at 661-861-1361.

Another vendor at the job fair was FIELD. The FIELD office serves the underserved, rural populations by providing career opportunities while offering classes in Lamont and possibly in Wasco. FIELD used to have a large presence in Arvin, but that is not available at this time.

"We are no longer the best kept secret in the Central Valley," HR Generalist Silva Ohannesian said.

The FIELD Institute incorporates training, business enterprises, corps, news and events and careers.

FIELD pays its employees $16 an hour as its minimum wage while the current minimum wage rate is $15 an hour.

The office of Bakersfield College Supportive Services was also represented. Their table was filled with a printed description of the enrollment steps and a variety of program brochures outlining requirements for each area offered at the school.

Supportive services are offered to participants at no cost with the following eligibility such as school dropout, foster youth, homeless, veterans and veteran's spouses, low-income, pregnant or parenting, court probation/conviction and/or disabled.

Sign up at bakersfieldcollege.edu/ce/encore-program.

Programs such as animal science, plant science, ASL interpreter training, automatic heating and air conditioning, electrical and electronic systems, general business, EMT, welding, HVAC technology and more are available. These programs are for students between the ages of 16-24 in Bakersfield, Delano, McFarland, Wasco, Shafter or Arvin.

Participants will receive support services and financial assistance to help complete their certificate program and employment placement.