The Regional Manufacturing Institute of Maryland (RMI), in partnership with the Baltimore County Department of Economic & Workforce Development and the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) is hosting a virtual manufacturing job fair on April 8th. The Virtual Manufacturing Job Fair will connect job seekers in the greater Baltimore region with open positions of all types, requiring varying skill levels and experience, at manufacturing companies in Baltimore County, Maryland.
The idea for this event came from a meeting with Baltimore County Executive Olszewski and RMI Board members located in Baltimore County to discuss finding skilled workers to fill job openings in manufacturing companies in Baltimore County. The County Executive challenged RMI to come up with an innovative proposal. The result was a virtual job fair on April 8th involving a collaboration among RMI, Baltimore County Office of Economic and Workforce Development and CCBC.
“The manufacturing industry is a cornerstone of innovation in our local economy and helps strengthen the quality of life for residents in our communities. Baltimore County is excited to partner with RMI and local anchor CCBC for this first-of-its-kind virtual job fair,” Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski said. “As we continue our economic recovery amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we must continue to innovate through efforts like this that connect talent with opportunity.”
Participating manufacturers to date are: Coty, McCormick, Textron Systems, Stanley Black & Decker, BD (Becton, Dickinson), Green Bay Packaging, Curio Wellness, BW Papersystems, ST Engineering, Independent Can Company, Saft Batteries and Strategic Factory.
“We are incredibly excited about this program,” remarks Mike Galiazzo, President of RMI. “The technology platform we are using to offer this virtual job matching opportunity is stellar. RMI and our partners have worked incredibly hard over the past few months to ensure successful job-seeker-and-employer matchmaking.” There is no cost for job seekers to participate but registration is required at www.BCjobs.vfairs.com.
The Coronavirus pandemic has increased unemployment, with much of that unemployment impacting individuals from the restaurant and retail industries. “Many of those who found themselves without a job as a result of the pandemic would be ideal candidates for jobs in manufacturing, whether those jobs are in the production, design, management, financing, sales or customer service,” said Mike Galiazzo. Today’s manufacturing jobs present great opportunities for individuals with skills and experience of all levels, not to mention family-sustaining incomes. Given the limitations presented by COVID19, RMI decided to offer the job fair virtually in collaboration with Baltimore County and CCBC.
During the Virtual Manufacturing Job Fair, job seekers will have the opportunity to engage with employers via chat, audio call, and video conferencing. Employers can also schedule one-on-one private video chats with candidates of interest.
Recognizing that many individuals may not have access to a computer and internet service, RMI partnered with the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) who will open computer labs at three of its locations – Catonsville, Essex and Hunt Valley – during the Job Fair. CCBC staff will be on hand to assist job seekers with using the online job fair platform, offer coaching support on interacting with employers virtually, and provide support for interview opportunities.
To help job seekers prepare for participation in the Virtual Manufacturing Job Fair, RMI and CCBC are hosting two Prep Sessions, one in-person on March 24th at the three CCBC locations and one virtually via Zoom on April 2nd. The Prep Sessions will provide an overview on how to navigate through the online job fair platform and provide tips for making the best first impression online with participating manufacturers. Additionally, those who attend the March 24th in-person Prep Session at CCBC will get hands-on help creating or updating a resume for uploading to their virtual job fair profile.
Working in collaboration with each other, RMI, CCBC and Baltimore County Department of economic and Workforce Development will promote the Job Fair on Monday, March 22nd to job seekers. CCBC will focus its attention on CCBC graduates and students. Baltimore County will focus on reaching unemployed or underemployed individuals in the County, even putting Job Fair flyers in the food boxes through their Food Distribution Centers. Additionally, they will be reaching out to workforce partners in surrounding areas, encouraging them to make their unemployed/underemployed residents aware of this opportunity.
There is no cost for job seekers to register to participate in the March 24th or April 2nd Job Fair Prep Sessions or the Virtual Manufacturing Job Fair on April 8th. Prep Session details can be found here . Virtual Manufacturing Job Fair details and registration can be found here. The shareable Job Fair flyer can be found here.
For more information, contact Stacey Smith, Director of Outreach & Events for Regional Manufacturing Institute of Maryland, at stacey@rmiofmaryland.com.