Hundreds Attend Third Pennsauken Job Fair
By Frank Sinatra, AAP Editor
On Sept. 15, hundreds of people flowed in and out of Living Faith Christian Center for Pennsauken’s third annual job fair. And while the number of attendees was down from last year’s event, many qualified applicants impressed the almost two dozen local companies who were actively looking to hire.
“Many of the companies participating in the job fair expressed how impressed they were with the number of quality candidates they spoke with last month,” explains Larry Cardwell, a member of Pennsauken Township’s Economic Development Department. “One company in particular plans to bring in over 20 candidates for additional interviews. They first met all of them at the job fair.”
Steady flows of people came in and out of one of the meeting halls at Living Faith Christian Center, speaking with companies like ACCU Staffing, a full service local staffing company, as well as a local Tupperware distributor, looking for new sales reps.
“The job fair was a perfect example of our municipal government, community organizations, and local businesses working together for the good of our residents,” added Cardwell. “We’re excited that this event created a positive reaction from both job seekers and local businesses.”
Momentum built up for the job fair weeks before the event, as over 60 people uploaded their résumés in advance, looking for positions in everything from administration to warehousing.
A special thank you to McFarlan’s Market, who provided food for the businesses and volunteers participating in the job fair. Lunch was paid for by the Pennsauken-Merchantville Area Chamber of Commerce.
The planners of the Pennsauken Job Fair wished to thank the following companies for their participation in October’s event: ACCU Staffing; AFLAC; Albert’s Transportation; Barry Callebaut; Benihana; Center For Family Services; Farmer’s Insurance; Insight; Pennsauken Board of Education; Pepsi; Restaurant Depot; Safety Bus; Shredded; Simmons Food; Source4Teachers; Spartan Worldwide Logistics; and Tupperware. A special thank you goes to Michael Hurley of Century Search, who helped provide job seekers with prep materials and questions to ask potential employers; as well as the representative from Senator Cory Booker’s office, who attended the event to discuss constituent services available to seniors and veterans.
“I’d like to thank Living Faith Christian Center for again donating their space to allow you, our local businesses, to support the community. Hopefully, we can provide people with some opportunities to be gainfully employed and have a career. We thank you very, very much,” said Pennsauken Mayor John Kneib, who addressed the crowd just before the start of the event. “I’d also like to recognize our economic development team, Larry Cardwell and Terry Carr, as well as the Pennsauken-Merchantville Area Chamber of Commerce, who also helped to sponsor the event.”
“We’re so glad and so blessed to have you here today,” added Pastor Roosevelt Taylor of Living Faith Christian Center. “It is a privilege for us to serve you and the Pennsauken community.”
Job seekers that were unable to attend the event are still able to upload their résumés for the new electronic Pennsauken Job Bank. By visiting http://www.twp.pennsauken.nj.us/content/pennsauken-job-fair-2016, individuals searching for work in Pennsauken can be added to the list that the Township’s Department of Economic Development will be sharing with local companies looking to add new hires.
