The line of mostly young people that stretched outside of the Evanston Public Library onto the Church Street sidewalk this afternoon constituted just a fraction of the estimated 800 to 1,000 job-seekers attending the Fall 2010 Job Fair of the Youth Job Center of Evanston.
The line of mostly young people that stretched outside of the Evanston Public Library onto the Church Street sidewalk this afternoon constituted just a fraction of the estimated 800 to 1,000 job-seekers attending the Fall 2010 Job Fair of the Youth Job Center of Evanston.
The fair began at 1 p.m., but by 2:30 p.m., with 90 minutes left to go, attendance had already eclipsed the 500 who attended last spring, breaking the previous record during the fair’s five-year history, according to Sacella Smith, executive director of the center.
She cited the turnout as evidence that not only are more jobs becoming available as the sluggish economy gradually recovers, but that more young people are actively taking the time to apply for those jobs .
Applicants lined up at tables in the library’s community room to speak with representatives of over two-dozen employers.
Some 25 employers were represented at this fair, compared with 17 at the spring fair, she said. Employers accepting job applications included such companies as Comcast, CVS Pharmacy, Best Buy, Amtrak, and the U.S. Customs & Border Patrol. Smith noted an uptick in interest from manufacturing firms as well as health care services and retailers.
UPS was looking for package handlers (able to lift 70 pounds), Chipotle was seeking crew members, and Aerotek was on the lookout for warehouse associates.
The 25-year-old Youth Job Center focuses on helping Evanston youth in the 14-to-25-year-old demographic learn job skills, such as using Microsoft Word, as well as learning job-seeking skills such as resume-preparation and networking. It partners with employers to provide paid internships that lead to full-time employment for those who do well, according to Smith, who noted that youth unemployment in this area is hovering at 25 percent.
The agency operates a website at www.youthjobcenter.org.
Recovery?
The economy is recovering. The stimulus, although not big enough, has saved our country.
Now let’s not do anything stupid (like voting for Pollak and Kirk) to smother the recovery in its infancy.
Frank/Dodd Recession
Remember we probably would not have all this problem if Frank/Dodd did not tell Fannie and Freddie to "…roll the dice" [i.e. push mortgages out that led to ‘no docs’] with the housing market, and prevent Congress from passing the Bush regulations to control Fannie and Freddie. They even now sheepishly admit so.