Chambers of Commerce holding job fair

Event will feature about 40 employers from variety of fields

The Lake County Chambers of Commerce are sponsoring an upcoming event in Mentor aimed at filling a surplus of job openings in the region.

A job fair featuring about 40 area businesses will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sept. 15, in the Mentor High School Paradigm building, located at 6477 Center St.

Leaders of the Mentor Area, Willoughby Western Lake County and Eastern Lake County chambers of commerce decided to conduct in the event in response to a common need expressed by their member businesses.

“It’s pretty much for all three chambers, our daily call is, ‘How can I get employees?’ said Christine Weber, president and CEO of the Mentor Area chamber.

As the pandemic lingers on, employers throughout the United States have struggled to find enough applicants to hire for all of their vacant jobs.

That predicament was evident among the approximately 40 Lake County businesses that so far have signed up to participate in the chambers’ job fair.

“We asked (the businesses) for a list of some of the jobs that are available, and I would say only a handful sent us maybe two or three,” Weber said. “Everybody else sent us a longer list, they have so many jobs available within their organizations.” Employers setting up booths at the job fair represent fields that include health care, finance, banking, automotive, hospitality, manufacturing, customer service, retail and communications, Weber said.

When potential job seekers enter the event, they’ll be given pamphlets listing the roster of employers in attendance; what positions they’re aiming to fill; if they’re conducting on-site interviews; and if they’re offering hiring bonuses.

With this kind of detailed information, visitors can quickly locate employers or types of jobs in which they’re most interested, Weber said.

Organizers of the job fair are targeting 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for high school seniors, and noon to 2 p.m. for college students and adults in the workforce. However, people who cannot attend within those designated periods can come to the job fair anytime between 9:30 and 2, Weber said.

Job applicants are encouraged to register in advance at mentorchamber.org. But Weber said walkins who aren’t registered also will be welcomed at the event.

The Lake County chambers are recommending that all applicants should dress in business-casual attire and bring plenty of resumes to share with possible future employers.

“We’re trying to get as many people as we can to attend the job fair to help our businesses in Lake County,” Weber said.