Participants make job fair a success

To all who came to the 2014 Peninsula Job Fair, we say, thank you — you are the reason this event was a success.

Peninsula Job Center staff would like to take the opportunity to thank the 53 area employers who participated in the 10th annual Peninsula Job Fair at on March 26. More than 950 local job seekers attended. The employers who participated in the job fair represented a diverse range of industries, from education to health care to skilled labor trades, oilfield industry, and small businesses of all kinds. For the 10th consecutive year, the Peninsula Job Fair has helped to match qualified job seekers with employment opportunities available right now in our area.

Employers and training providers who participated in the job fair: AJEATT, Alaska Job Corp, Adult Learning Programs/MASST, Alaska Crane Consultants, Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Department of Corrections, Alaska Division of Forestry, Alyeska Pipeline, ASRC Energy, AVTEC, Beacon OHSS, Central Peninsula Hospital, CH2M Hill, Crowley Marine Services, Emerald Alaska, ESS Service, EXPRO Group, First Student, Fred Meyer, Frontier Community Services, Governor’s Council on Disabilities, Halliburton, Home Depot, Hope Community Resources, Inlet Fish, KDLL Radio, Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, Kenai Peninsula Care Center, Kenai Peninsula College, Kenaitze, KPEDD, Lee Shore Center Jeanette, McDonalds, Northern Training Industrial, Offshore Systems, Pacific Star Seafood, Peak Oil Field Services, Peninsula Community Health Services, RESCARE, Safeway, Scentsy, Schlumberger, Snug Harbor, State of Alaska Juvenile Justice, Taco Bell, US Army, US Marines, US Navy, AK Army National Guard, Walmart, and Wells Fargo.

Thank you as well to our partners, Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Superintendent, Dr. Steve Atwater, Director of Secondary Education and Student Activities, John O’Brien, District Counselor/Specialist, Sara Moore, and the principals, counselors and teachers of Skyview, Soldotna, Kenai, and Nikiski high schools for partnering with the Peninsula Job Center and providing student transportation to the Peninsula Job Fair. By allowing Peninsula Job Center staff to work with students to teach resume writing, career exploration, interviewing skills and work ethics, students were well prepared to speak directly to employers about short and long-term employment, learn about labor demands, and make local connections.

Our gratitude also goes out to the US military for assisting with the setup of the job fair; Sweeney’s, Baileys Furniture, and Nikiski Fire Stations for advertising the job fair on their reader boards; and our sponsors who helped provide the venue, supplies, advertisement, food, and refreshments: John Crump with Denali Commercial, Soldotna Chamber of Commerce, Kenai Chamber of Commerce, Peninsula Clarion, Safeway, and Alaska Department of Labor.

We hope to see you all next year!