PITTSBURG, Kan. — A new matchmaking service is coming to Memorial Auditorium. Sort of.
Job fairs are on tap for Oct. 4, Nov. 1, and Dec. 6, giving Four-State Area employers a chance to find their idea of a perfect employee, and potential employees a chance to find their idea of a perfect employer.
With any luck, said Blake Benson, director of the Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce, he’ll see some perfect matches that mean a retention of community residents rather than a mass exodus when Superior Industries begins the three-phase closing of its Pittsburg plant.
It’s no coincidence, said Benson, that the job fairs are slated for two weeks prior to each phase.
“We’re joining with the city of Pittsburg and Pittsburg State University’s career office to hold these according to the schedule Superior released,” Benson said. “We’ve received a lot of interest from businesses that have positions available for these workers, which is a very good sign.”
Approximately 600 workers will be looking for jobs after the closure of the wheel metal-casting plant, which is a result of reduced demand for SUVs and light trucks.
But Benson said he sees a glass that is half full.
“Silver linings in situations like this are very hard to find, but if there is one, it is that businesses have openings. In fact, nearly 50 business have said they have jobs available,” he said. “This has the potential to be a win-win for them and the displaced workers.”
He reports “lots of interest” from businesses in Joplin, Mo., and from places as far away as Great Bend, Kan., and Fort Smith, Ark.
“Most of these workers have roots in this area and we certainly hope they stay with a local company, because we want to keep them,” Benson said. “But at a time like this, we want them to have every option in front of them.”
Similar challenges are happening in communities across the nation, he said. They most often have a trickle-down effect throughout a region. He said an Internet search of “plant closings” shows recent layoffs of thousands of displaced workers at Dell Computers in Austin, Texas; at Kimball Furniture in Borden, Ind.; and at Ford’s Meridian Automotive Systems in Kansas City, Kan., among others.
“So often, local manufacturing facilities are affected by national trends; there is nothing anyone can do on a local level — you just have to roll with the punches, turn the situation around so that it benefits other businesses.”
For those envisioning a job fair with flashy displays, Benson said, think again.
“We’re providing each business a table, but we also want to leave as much space as possible for chairs and space to move around. We want workers to be comfortable, and a lot bring their families to these,” he said. “It will really be a chance for businesses to say, ‘Tell me about yourself, let me tell you what we do, here’s an application.’”
There’s one business registered whose plans are a bit more elaborate.
“The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is going to set up an agility course at the ball fields, so if they have someone who maybe is considering going into a career in law enforcement, they can go immediately out and run the 100-yard course. I think the employers want to get as much done here as they can while they have a captive audience and folks are interested,” Benson said.
Meanwhile, various entities will be working with displaced workers to assist them in getting resumés in order, and reviewing interview tips and techniques so they’re ready. Some workers, Benson said, might not have done an interview or resumé in 20 years.
The job fair is free to businesses and job seekers.
“You get to see what a community is made of in a situation like this, and to see the community pull together and make this happen is really encouraging,” he said. “That’s what makes Pittsburg so special.”
Local News
Andra Stefanoni: Fairs link people to jobs
- Local News
-
-
City wants to buy weather radios for those without
Phil Jones had been working on a construction project outside his house all day on May 22 and was unaware that a tornado watch had been issued. Once he was inside, though, his weather radio went off, and he learned that a warning had been issued.
-
Architects present preliminary JHS plans at community meeting
Reaction appeared mostly supportive Thursday night among the roughly 50 people who attended a community meeting at which architects presented their preliminary site plans for the future combined Joplin High School and Franklin Technology Center.
-
Confessed shooter testifies against co-defendants in Pittsburg murder case
Rickey Smith testified Thursday that as he came in the back door of Ryan Bailey’s home in Pittsburg with a 9 mm pistol in his hand, Bailey looked up from the couch in his living room.
-
School district’s proposed street-closing plan questioned
Plans to close some streets near the proposed Joplin High School drew questions, including a challenge from a former Joplin mayor, during a public hearing this week.
-
Neosho council approves new golf cart contract
The purchase of golf carts was back on the agenda this week for the Neosho City Council. City Attorney Steve Hays said there were errors in the financing terms that were part of a bid approved last month for the purchase of 55 gas-powered carts from E-Z-Go for $144,195, so the purchase of a new fleet was rebid.
-
Mike Pound: Spirit of competition evident during double-overtime game
When I played basketball in high school, I played in several very close games.
Now, some people who may have known me in high school are probably laughing right now and saying, “What Mike meant to say is that when he was in high school, he came very close to playing in some games.” -
Mo. optometrist filed $40 million refund claim
A southwest Missouri optometrist who filed a tax return claiming a $40 million refund has been sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison.
-
Okla. receives waiver from No Child Left Behind
Oklahoma’s top education official reacted with glee Thursday with the announcement that the state is one of 10 states being granted a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind law that requires students be proficient in reading and math by 2014 — but focused on getting students to “just pass the tests.”
-
Kan. House approves bipartisan redistricting bill
Power in the Kansas House is likely to shift next year from rural parts of the state to the Kansas City area after members overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan bill Thursday for redrawing their districts.
-
Fugitive in 1993 British heist arrested in Ozark
A man suspected of stealing about $1.5 million from a security van in England in 1993 has been arrested in southwest Missouri.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case
Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
