Thursday, March 28, 2024

Flat River Community Library to host Montcalm Job FairFree Access



Planning the setup for the Montcalm Job Fair are, from left, Paul Sischo of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, Stefanie Reed of the Flat River Community Library, Abby Stalker of West Michigan Works and Cassandra Vargo of the Flat River Community Library. — Submitted photo

GREENVILLE — The Flat River Community Library is collaborating with several other Montcalm County area organizations to host the Montcalm Job Fair, the first event of this kind post-pandemic.

The job fair will take place on April 21 consisting of two separate sections designated for students and the public, respectively. Local high school and college students will be welcome from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the event will open to the public from 2 to 4 p.m. Flo’s Pizzeria Ristorante & Sports Bar and B.C. Pizza are generously providing lunch for all participating business representatives.

The event represents the collaboration and cooperation of many organizations, including FRCL, West Michigan Works, Greenville Public Schools, the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, Montcalm Community College, Montcalm Area ISD, and the Right Place. The goal was to put together an event that would create a one-day opportunity for area businesses to reach as many people as possible. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn more about career paths, apply for open positions, and make valuable in-person contact regarding employment.

“We are excited to be a part of bringing this career fair to Montcalm,” said Abby Stalker, Talent Solutions Manager for West Michigan Works. “This is a wonderful opportunity for students and job seekers to learn about the variety of careers available locally. Employers are looking for individuals with a variety of skills and are ready to showcase their open positions.”

With the goal in mind of serving a broad spectrum of the community, Penny Dora, director of communications and administrative services for Montcalm Area ISD, has worked with multiple school districts in Montcalm County to encourage their participation.

“It gives our students several opportunities,” says Dora. “They are able to explore careers and learn about many different career pathways. It gives them a chance to develop interviewing and presentation skills as they explore and discuss their career options with potential employers. It also gives older students a serious chance at summer employment which could lead to greater opportunities for them later.”

Dora believes this provides great value to the community as a whole as well.

“Another perspective to consider is the value of a strong local economy and employment base for our community,” she adds. “These are two important factors for vibrant communities and quality of living, and certainly ones that people are drawn to when looking for a new place to call home.”

The event currently includes representatives from 35 local businesses and agencies, and registration for businesses is still available.

“One of our primary missions as a library to provide a community hub to bring together resources and opportunities,” said Stefanie Reed, director of the Flat River Community Library. “This has been a unique opportunity to leverage the hard work of so many community contributors, and we are very excited to see the results.”

To get more information about this event and the participating businesses, contact the library at (616) 754-6359, or visit flatriverlibrary.org, or facebook.com/flatrivercommunitylibrary. The library is located at 200 W. Judd St. in Greenville and the hours of operation are Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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