Mackinaw City Job Fair a Success for Local Employers and Job Seekers
On Saturday, March 11th, over 150 job seekers sought respite from the bitter cold to attend the Michigan Works! Northern Michigan Job Fair in Mackinaw City with hopes of securing spring and summer employment. Forty-eight local employers were present (representing 76 businesses) hoping to fill well over 1,000 jobs. Industries represented included tourism, retail, hospitality, food service, transportation and more, offering part-time, seasonal, and full-time opportunities.
The event, held at the Mackinaw City Recreational Center, was put on by Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium, in collaboration with Upward Michigan Works!, Northeast Michigan Works!, North Central Michigan College, The Village of Mackinaw City, and the Mackinaw City Chamber of Commerce.
This year’s Job Fair attendance was up by 25% from last year’s job fair (which was held in Cheboygan). Increased marketing, the Mackinaw City location, and holding the event on a Saturday (as compared to mid-week) are believed to attribute to the increase.
One job seeker from Minnesota, who was spending her spring break in northern Michigan, attended this year’s fair hoping to secure summer employment on Mackinac Island. Another job seeker came up from Rochester, MI, with the same goal. Overall, job seeker feedback was very positive, with attendees stating the event offered a variety of employers and opportunities.
“I thought it was amazing,” said Steven Demasi. “We had a very good time and found some amazing jobs to apply to.”
“I enjoyed it,” agreed Cheyenne Farr. “It was informational and a good experience. I have two interviews!”
Employers reported that the event was well-organized and offered a great opportunity to network with fellow employers and meet many job seekers at once. Many commented on the good turnout and that the Mackinaw City location was a great spot for a northern Michigan job fair.
“We got some great applications,” said Kristina Crawford of UAW Black Lake. “It was nice to talk with other employers! This was the best job fair!”
“The job fair was well organized and represented a wide range of businesses with employment opportunities,” said Lisa Pallagi with Icebreaker Mackinaw Maritime Museum.
“There was a diverse representation of companies,” agreed Wendy Falkner of Kilwins of Mackinaw City. ”And there were lots of jobs available from management and retail, and from full-time/part-time and seasonal.”
Joseph Lieghio, with Mackinaw Seasonal Resorts, representing over 30 Mackinaw City businesses commented, “This was the best job fair ever! We hired over 80 people!” Of course, he has a ways to go, considering the over 700 openings he has to fill.
Over the next few weeks, employers will continue to call on job seekers they met with, with hopes that these interviews lead to even more placements.