The 3rd Annual Developmental Disabilities Job and Resource Fairis being held Thursday, Oct. 26 at the Lake County Administration Building located at 105 Main St. in Painesville. It runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Michael Zuren, Lake County’s treasurer, appeared on Good Morning Cleveland Sunday.
He said the job and resource fair began after conversations with area businesses that were struggling to fill vacancies. Leaders then began working with the Lake County Board of Developmental Disabilities/Deepwood and Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities.
“There were a number of disabled individuals who had education skill set and really could help local employers fill these vacancies, so we started a job and resource fair to connect the two together to fill job openings in Lake County,” Zuren said.
A variety of companies will be at the job and resource fair, including manufacturers, retail and grocery stores.
“There are 14 companies and agencies involved… which is hundreds of jobs,” Zuren said. “And it really fits the skill set for the disabled community. They could be such an asset. A lot of the feedback we got about the individuals who were hired from last year's job fair were they're loyal, they're dependable, they're reliable, (and) they love their job. And that is really valuable to an employer.”
Zuren said last year, more than 100 people attended, including students from local schools.
He said employers can do on-the-spot interviews, and people should come with resumes.
He said last year’s job and resource fair resulted in seven people being offered employment on the spot. Zuren said being able to meet employers face-to-face versus through online portals and applications benefits both parties.
Laketran is providing free transportation to and from the job and resource fair. Zuren said a lunch room will also be available if individuals want to bring a personal lunch.
