Vermont’s largest career fair results in more than 120 job offers

Associated General Contractors of Vermont (AGC/VT) hosted Vermont’s biggest hiring event at the Champlain Valley Expo, in conjunction with the Vermont Department of Labor. VermontBiz photos.

Vermont Business Magazine Last week on Tuesday, April 26, the Associated General Contractors of Vermont (AGC/VT) hosted Vermont’s biggest hiring event at the Champlain Valley Expo, in Essex Jct. Within one week, Vermont employers extended more than 120 job offers, with more expected in the coming weeks.  

AGC/VT, which partnered with the Vermont Department of Labor (DOL), recruited nearly 200 employers from diverse fields including manufacturing, construction, hospitality, health care, education, public safety, and emergency response. Numerous state agencies including the Vermont Agency of Transportation, Vermont Department of Public Safety, and Agency of Commerce and community Development also attended and promoted current job openings in state government. 

The one-day event attracted more than 1,200 job seekers, including hundreds of career center and college students. The average employer spoke with approximately 40 potential candidates, with about 10 Vermonters applying per job opening.  

“We know that many Vermont employers in various industries from construction to manufacturing to health care face extraordinary challenges when it comes to finding qualified candidates,” explained Richard Wobby, Executive Vice President of AGC/VT. “We also know that finding the right employer and career is challenging for many Vermonters. We wanted to help lessen the burden on both parties by organizing this Career Fair, making it as easy as possible for employers and employees to connect.” 

As Wobby continued: “This was just the first Career Fair that we intend to hold, and one of many workforce development initiatives that we have underway at AGC/VT. We heard from many employers who especially appreciated the hiring pits that connected prospective employees with employers in a one-on-one setting. We’re thrilled that the event already has resulted in more than 120 job offers, but our work is far from over. Our goal is to keep chipping away at the employment gap in the near-term while simultaneously making long-term inroads and investments in growing our workforce and reversing the aging demographics trend.”  

“We have a very real demographics crisis in Vermont,” explained Michael Harrington, Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Labor. “On any given day, it’s estimated that we have up to 26,000 open positions, but we have fewer Vermonters between the ages of 34-52 and more Vermonters over the age of 65 than we did 20 years ago. Within state government and DOL, we’re committed to doing everything we can to help Vermont employers fill their vacancies while simultaneously assisting job seekers in finding employment opportunities that match their skills and experience level. We’re proud to have partnered with AGC/VT and other state agencies to host the recent Career Fair and are pleased to see that employers and employees found it beneficial. However, we have a long way to go to overcome the employment gap.” 

“As a Vermont employer, we’re constantly trying to find the best ways to recruit and retain talent,” explained Ken Pidgeon of Engineers Construction, Inc. “As soon as we heard about this Career Fair, we knew we had to be a part of it. We were surprised by the number of qualified candidates who we met with, and we’re pleased to have offered 10 jobs to Vermonters, who we believe will be excellent fits in our company and community.”  

Upcoming job fair events organized by or in partnership with the Department of Labor include:

• River Valley Employment Fair (with River Valley Workforce Innovation Board members)
• May Job Fest: Middlebury (with Middlebury Parks & Recreation and Addison County Workforce Alliance)
• May Job Fest: Bennington (with HireAbility and Southwestern Regional Chamber of Commerce)
• Central Vermont Job Fair (with Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation)

All events above are free for jobseekers, and all are encouraged to attend. To pre-register, please click the links above, or contact your local Department of Labor Workforce Development team by calling 802-828-4394. Employers interested in participating in these and other recruitment and hiring events are also encouraged to contact the Department.

For additional information on general career services and resources may visit Labor.Vermont.gov/Jobs(link is external).

Montpelier, VT / May 5, 2022 – Vermont AGC. Dept of Labor