Local News

News and Sentinel holds job fair

VIENNA -- Job seekers and potential employers converged Wednesday at The Parkersburg News and Sentinel Job Fair at the Grand Pointe Conference Center.

Response to the event was overwhelming, said organizer Mary Jo Miller, with people lining up before the doors opened up at noon Wednesday.

The Parkersburg News and Sentinel held a Job Fair in March with 23 vendors and more than 450 people in attendance. Miller said Wednesday's event featured 28 companies and a larger crowd.

"The turnout has been tremendous," Miller said.

Par Mar Human Resources Director Marilyn Lipps said she was thrilled with the number of people who attended.

"It's been wonderful," she said. "There's tons of people, a lot interest and varying levels of experience."

Lipps said the company also attended the job fair in March, but said Wednesday's turnout was even better.

"We came back because the first one was so good," she said.

Nicole Clatterbuck, human resources director for Interim Healthcare, said for her the job fair was a wonderful opportunity to get the word out about the kinds of services and jobs available in the health care community.

"It's getting our name out there and what benefits and opportunities are out there in health care," she said. "A lot of people don't really know what all health care includes, and this gives us a chance to get them that information and to have a conversation."

Cheryl Scott of Parkersburg said she visited the job fair looking for positions in administrative office work, though she was keeping her options open.

"If I see something that offers training, I'll look at that, too," she said. "That's part of why I'm here, to see if I can find something new."

Scott said she was impressed with the number of companies seeking new employees.

"I'm surprised how many jobs are here considering how many people are looking for work," she said.

Parkersburg resident Eva Frey said she was meeting with employers to get a better feel for what kind of work she might want to pursue.

"It's my first time here, and so far the people have been very helpful trying to get me into the job I want," she said. "They're also very honest, and they'll say if they think something else might be a better fit."

Chelsea Polk, an English teacher at Frontier High School, brought more than 40 11th- and 12h-grade students to the job fair.

"We wanted to help them get a direction, develop some goals and see what's out there," Polk said. "We wanted to get them out and meeting people in their community."

Polk said while the students are regularly talked to about developing career options, having them meet face-to-face with local employers can help kickstart their plans.

"I saw all of the students out talking to people, getting their feelers out," she said. "I think this is important for all high school students, but especially those from a small community."

Door prizes were awarded to participants. Winners received a $50 ParMar gift card from The News and Sentinel.

Winners were Rebecca Grady, Rex Johnson, Mona Beall, Patricia Martin, Terry Ellison, James Moyers, Bob Burrows and Darlene Walker.

Among the companies and organizations which participated Wednesday were Plygem, Camden Clark Medical Center, Promanco, Highland Hospital, North Central Regional Jail, Marietta Memorial Health Systems, Par Mar, Southeastern Med, Waste Management of Ohio, Comfort Keepers, Alliance Industries, Prime Care Medical, Hi-Vac Corp., Eagle Pointe, Ohio Valley University, Mole Masters, Westbrook Health Services, Mystic Hills Transportation, Simonton Windows and American National University. Miller said several more companies signed up for tables Wednesday morning.