MCCC Hosts Groundbreaking Trenton Employment Resource Fair
07/02/20
TRENTON, NJ – Following an impressive turnout at its June food and clothing drive, Mercer County Community College (MCCC) continued to support its local community this week, holding its Trenton Community Resources for Employment Fair on July 1.
The fair, which ran virtually, connected job hunters to staff from Mercer and other local organizations. Hosted by MCCC’s James Kerney Campus staff, the fair was sponsored by a number of community-based organizations: Eckerd Connects, ResCare Workforce Services, Dress for Success Central New Jersey, The Father Center (formerly UIH Family Partners), Mercer County One-Stop Career Center, Greater Mercer TMA, and Princeton Air.
The fair’s concurrent Zoom sessions served to prepare job hunters for the minutia involved in securing employment. Fair goers sat in on sessions about interviewing skills, resume writing, workplace barriers and more over the event’s three-hour run time.
“We recognize that a lot goes into getting meaningful employment. It’s not enough to turn in a resume and hope for the best,” said Tonia Perry-Conley, Interim Executive Dean of Student Support Services and JKC.
Though Conley said that each of the sessions were compelling and informative, Conley noted that the Dress for Success meeting was particularly well-received. An international organization that seeks to help women break the cycle of poverty, Dress for Success provided fair attendees with vouchers to put towards their next interview outfit.
“Dress for Success' partnership with MCCC has blossomed over the years, helping countless students achieve their education dreams. I am proud as an MCCC foundation board member that we continue to provide virtual programming that caters to our students current and future needs,” said Dress for Success Central NJ CEO Melissa Tenzer.
“The resource fair brought in community experts tackling many topics including transportation issues, employment obstacles, interviewing skills, and was extremely well attended. Dress for Success was honored to be a part of this groundbreaking day.”
“Scott Needham, President of Princeton Air, added, “I was very proud of the great presentation our group put on this past Wednesday. The number of programs, classes, and resources that are available to our county’s workforce are amazing and I believe the attendees benefited in a big way as evidenced by the good questions that were asked.”
Though residents of Mercer County are reeling following months of social distancing and COVID-19, the resource fair focused on getting employment in a virtual world. “Interviewing over Zoom is very different from sitting in-person in a boardroom. The success of this fair hinged on how we were able to cater it to the digital job market,” said Conley.
With July’s event in the books, MCCC looks toward the fall for the second edition of the fair. Though it has yet to be announced, the next Trenton Community Resources for Employment event will bring the attendees of the training fair together with employers.
“Until then,” Conley said, “MCCC and the County both offer robust career service centers, fully staffed to help job seekers no matter where they are on the road to employment.”
James Kerney Campus at Mercer County Community College, located at 102 N. Broad Street in Trenton, New Jersey, serves the changing needs of thousands of students seeking educational fulfillment and personal and career growth. Campus resources include adult education for residents who wish to improve basic skills to prepare for the high school equivalency examination; English as a second language and bilingual instruction; college prep for high school students; science and math programs; career counselling and training; instructional and testing services, including college skills placement tests. Room rentals for events are also available to the public.
Though MCCC's Trenton Community Resources for Employment Fair was entirely digital, the programming was spearheaded by staff from MCCC's James Kerney Campus, as well as members of the greater Trenton community.