Job expo hosted by community partners to help job seekers

In response to the recent announcement by LyondellBasell of its plant closure at Chocolate Bayou and local rise in unemployment, numerous community partners are working together to host the Texas Gulf Coast Industrial Job Expo on April 23 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Alvin.

“The bottom line is it’s about helping the people in our community seek employment,” said Larry Buehler, City of Alvin Economic Development Director, of the partnership endeavor. “We’re trying to help them keep the quality of life they’ve come to expect and to keep them in the community; if we can’t do that, we don’t want them to go far.”

The job expo, which will be held from 1 to 5 p. m., will focus on the workforce needs of the processing, operations and manufacturing industries.

In addition to having the opportunity to meet with hiring managers and recruiters from numerous area employers, participants will be able to receive resume and interviewing advice from professional volunteers.

“Many people experiencing this hardship have not been in the job market for several years,” said Diana Stiles, a career counselor at Alvin Community College.  “This event is designed to help individuals also feel confident that their resumes and interviewing skills are competitive in today’s job market.”

Buehler, who will be helping to conduct mock interviews at the event, said it’s important for people to practice interviewing before talking with a potential employer, especially if they haven’t done it for many years.

“The mock interviews will help people get the dust off and talk about themselves,” he stated. “It’s tough job hunting after of a lot of years; I’ve been through it.”

According to Stiles, the job expo was also created to help employers just as much as job seekers.

“Due to the generosity of so many people, we’re able to offer the job expo free to companies who wish to participate until all the spaces are filled,” she said. “This event will allow area businesses to survey a large number of applicants quickly and inexpensively and employers will be able to network and promote their companies in a large public format.”

Companies will have a large selection of highly qualified applicants to choose from, as well, especially as a result of the closure of LyondellBasell, Buehler said.

“The average tenure at LyondellBasell was 15 years,” he added. “That’s a lot of skills.”

The event is being coordinated by ACC, in partnership with the City of Alvin, Alvin-Manvel Area Chamber of Commerce, Houston-Galveston Area Council, Gulf Coast Workforce Development Board, Texas Gulf Coast Consortium of Community Colleges, Workforce Solutions, Amoco Federal Credit Union, Knights of Columbus and Joe’s Bar-B-Q.

“Everyone is stepping up,” Buehler stated. “If they’re not donating money and goods, they’re donating time.”

For additional information or to register your company for the Texas Gulf Coast Industrial Job Expo, contact the ACC Office of Admissions and Academic Advising at (281) 756-3531.

The Knights of Columbus Hall in Alvin is located at the corner of Highway 6 and County Road 146.