‘Better Skills, Better Jobs’ Career Fair Slated for Sept. 29

GREENVILLE—The largest job fair of its kind in eastern North Carolina is returning to the Greenville Convention Center Sept. 29 to give adult jobseekers and Pitt County high school students a chance to explore the region’s workforce development needs.

Organizers of the “Better Skills, Better Jobs” Career Fair, which include Pitt Community College, Greenville Eastern North Carolina (ENC) Alliance and Pitt County Economic Development, expect more than 100 businesses to participate in the event. Representatives from community and educational resources will also be on hand to discuss services they offer to prepare individuals for the workplace.

“We expect the fair to help build awareness of careers and educational opportunities in our community and foster engagement between employers and individuals who can fill their need for a skilled workforce,” said PCC President Lawrence Rouse. He added that Pitt offers a variety of credit and short-term certificate options to help adult learners gain skills that will help them advance in their current jobs or change careers entirely.

For Pitt County Economic Development and Greenville ENC Alliance, workforce development and job training initiatives that strengthen the local labor pipeline are priorities for economic development recruitment and retention efforts.

“A big part of this effort is connecting the dots. We have talented people looking for work, robust training and educational resources, and quality employment opportunities,” said Kelly Andrews, executive director of Pitt County Economic Development. “This event brings them all together to see what connections can be made. Whether it is training, resources, employment or employees, we have a one-stop location to connect people with opportunities.”

The inaugural fair last year gave more than 600 job seekers an opportunity to meet face-to-face with employers about careers in a variety of businesses and industries. Most of those companies offer well-paying jobs, health benefits, and paid time off.

“There aren’t just great jobs here in eastern North Carolina, there are great careers and we’re honored to help bring this event to the convention center again this year to showcase the wonderful opportunities available at some of our top employers in the region,” said David Horn, Greenville ENC Alliance director of investor and community relations.

Dr. Johnny Smith, PCC Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Community Engagement, said the inaugural event’s success is what led PCC to sponsor this year’s fair with Pitt County Economic Development, Greenville ENC Alliance, the John M. Belk Endowment, East Carolina University’s Office of Continuing and Professional Education, TALK 96.3 & 103.7, and Koinonia Community Solutions.

“We are grateful for the continued support from all of our sponsors this year,” Smith said. “A regional event of this magnitude would not be possible without the collaborative efforts of these strategic champions for education.”

Smith said the fair will run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The period from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. is reserved for Pitt County high school students. Along with job information, they’ll learn about working toward a college degree while they are still in high school through programs like Career & College Promise and the PCC-Pitt County Schools (PCS) Technical Academy.

The period between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. is for adult jobseekers. Smith says they’ll be able to speak about job openings and services with representatives from companies and community partners, like PCS, Greenville Utilities, Tradesformers, N.C. Coastal Society for Human Resource Management, NCWorks and ECU Health.

Those planning to attend the job fair should register online. Some companies will conduct on-site job interviews during the event, so jobseekers are encouraged to bring an updated resume.

09/26/2022