STEUBENVILLE - Nearly 60 employers, colleges and trade schools took part in the 2010 Ohio Valley Job Fair held Wednesday afternoon at the Fort Steuben Mall, an indication that jobs and opportunities are available, participants said.
A crowd of job seekers and people considering higher education made their way to the booths centered around the mall's center court area. Rich Gualtiere and John Fayak of Jefferson County Connections, the one-stop job training and employment center, said the fair was serving its purpose.
"We want to unite job seekers with employers," Gualtiere said.
Fayak added, "It's more of a one-on-one opportunity instead of just sending in a resume."
The mall location was praised by job seekers and employers alike.
The fair formerly was held at Eastern Gateway Community College.
Jewett Toney, owner of the Kids-R-Us Academy, a child-care center on North Fifth Street, was seeking potential employees with associate degrees in early childhood education.
An hour into the fair, which ran from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., she had a stack of resumes in front of her.
"It's possible that with the job fair changing its location that we're seeing more traffic and we have more room," she said.
"I'm pleased by the number I've seen who are meeting the degree requirement."
Monica Lahr, a local photographer, recently opened a new studio on Sunset Boulevard. She was seeking a new part-time photographer.
"There's been a few so far," she said.
Over at the Sienna Woods booth, two Jefferson County JVS students, Devan Stonebraker of Amsterdam and Brandie Bonar of Bergholz were considering their options for part-time work to save money for college.
Bonar said of the busy job fair, "This proves that there are jobs available, but you have to go look for them."
Carrie Cooper of Sienna Woods said the facility is looking for full-time and part-time dietary workers, as well as state-tested nurse aides and licensed practical nurses for full-time employment.
Mike McGlumphy, work force development specialist with the Jefferson County Community Action Council, which operates Connections, said, "The jobs are here. Now, they're entry-level positions. People have to be willing to take a job and move themselves up. These aren't the kinds of jobs we had at Severstal - the pay is not equivalent. But there are jobs in the Ohio Valley. The economy is starting to swing back."
Businesses are looking to a more positive future, such as the Carriage Inn Home Health agency.
Michael Vok, home care facilitator, said the booth was seeing a number of potential job applicants come through.
"We're accepting applications for physical therapists, occupational therapists, RNs, LPNs and home-health aides. We're growing and expanding our coverage area," he said. Vok said Carriage Inn Home Health is looking to grow into Belmont County and the Wheeling area.
"People can apply for these positions all the time," he said.
(Giannamore can be contacted at pgiannamore@heraldstaronline.com.)
