Workforce System Success Stories - Workforce Development and Adult Learning

The Tri-County Council, the workforce development board serving Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties in southern Maryland, introduced a new twist to their 12th annual Southern Maryland Hiring Event – a Community Resource Fair! In addition to bringing together a broad range of regional employers and workforce system resources, this year’s event included many new community partners to help jobseekers address employment barriers and access valuable community services. The planning team added a moon bounce, face painting, games, free haircuts, and food to this year’s menu of offerings to fully engage the community and create a family friendly atmosphere.

The hard work paid off! Hundreds of jobseekers attended the event, along with nearly 70 regional employers. Jobseeker participants could network with employers, receive resume-writing and interviewing tips, and access community services, such as the food bank, housing services and services for justice-involved individuals, all under the same roof.

Let’s take a look at some of the wins from this year’s Hiring Event and Community Fair.

• 729 jobseekers attended the event.
• 68 local businesses participated.
• 32 community partners had booths at the event to share information.
• 23 jobseekers were hired on the day of the event. The state police left the event with the application process started for another 46 candidates.
• Some of the participating businesses who hired jobseekers at the event include: both the Maryland and Washington DC chapters of the National Electrical Contractors Association, Victor Stanley, PSI Pax, Boothe’s Heating and Air Conditioning, Patuxent Habitat for Humanity, Tuckerman Barbee Construction, Apogee, the St. Mary’s Sheriff’s Office and Bob Hall Inc.
• Various community entities helped to sponsor 250 free backpacks for students.
• The planning team employed a dynamic, multifaceted marketing campaign that included paid advertisements on social media and messaging via local newspapers, radio, and online news sites to build participation.

The team that worked so hard to make the Southern Maryland Hiring Event and Community Resource Fair happen were beyond pleased with the outcome, which exceeded expectations by a wide margin. Participating businesses also praised the event's organization, turnout, and the valuable connections they were able to make as a result. The bar has been set high for next year’s event!