Career fair brings resources together for first of its kind event in Butler County
BUTLER TWP — People on Butler County Community College’s campus Tuesday, June 24, didn’t even have to leave the college to find a job — jobs and opportunities for them came to the campus.
Tuesday was the first Opportunity Fair in Butler County, an event created by Dress for Success Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania Women Work, made to offer wraparound services to women in the area seeking jobs and careers.
Liz Mims, director of community engagement for Dress for Success Pittsburgh, said 65 people, mostly women, signed up to attend the event, and 85% of the people registered were unemployed or underemployed. The people at the event could get professional clothing provided by Dress for Success, have makeup applied by Ulta Beauty, and speak with nonprofits and businesses about jobs or other opportunities. It was a one-stop shop for careers, Mims said.
By bringing all these parties together, EmployHER aimed to eliminate all barriers — from transportation to time — for people seeking better employment in Butler County.
“It’s overwhelming to try to figure out where to get help,” Mims said of job searching. “The main idea is the collaborative part, because every one of these does something different, but at the end of the day we all want to help people help themselves. Even if it’s just for six hours, you may not have been able to talk to anyone about it before.”
According to Mims, 14 nonprofits and several local businesses attended the event. Some of the nonprofits there, like the YWCA Butler, have similar missions to Dress for Success and provide services to people who are underemployed or unemployed.
Elizabeth Short, executive director of YWCA Butler, said at the event her organization’s mission aligns with that of Dress for Success, so the partnership could have been useful to women at the opportunity fair. Short was advertising the YWCA’s Project Period, which provides menstrual products to women; as well as its Getting Ahead class, which provides career coaching over 12 sessions, to people at the event.
“(Getting Ahead) helps them understand their situation and come up with a plan to address their needs,” Short said. “We put a cohort together of up to 12 women and it’s half walking them through a plan and the other half is the women sharing their experiences with each other.”
Dress for Success also coordinated transportation to and from BC3 for people who otherwise could not make it. At the event, the Lighthouse Foundation promoted its Whole Life Ministries programs to people, which helps address immediate and emergency financial needs, and provides the first steps toward rehabilitation and development. This includes a car-buying assistance program.
“I require them to have a down payment, but I help with grant funding to help people get their own vehicle,” said Jen Bellis, community resource manager for the Lighthouse Foundation. “Last year 19 people got cars through the program.”
The fair took place from noon to 6 p.m. and also featured a panel made up of women who own and operate their own businesses. The women answered questions for people interested in being their own bosses.
Mims said the turnout for the day was encouraging and the opportunity fair could be a recurring event in Butler County.
“We have gotten so much great feedback already,” she said.
