The Somerville First Source Jobs Initiative’s Job Fair held at the Cambridge Health Alliance building brought job seekers and potential employers together to see what possibilities existed for job placements.

By Tom Bannister

On Wednesday of last week, the Somerville First Source Jobs Initiative (SFSJI) celebrated a job fair exclusively for residents of the Somerville area at the Cambridge Health Alliance building, in Somerville. It was the second job fair that the SFSJI held this year as part of their effort to connect Somerville residents with Somerville jobs, particularly those with barriers to employment.

The SFSJI reports that local employers such as Express, The Walnut Street Center, ABM Janitorial Services, Chipotle, Angelica, among others, participated in the event. “We invited employers to this job fair based on the type of jobs that our more than 160 participants are looking for. We know that many of them are looking for positions in the maintenance, food service and allied health fields. Thus, this is a great opportunity to have access to current job openings in these areas,” said Jorge Colón, Career and Employment Services Coach at SCC.

The job fair followed a breakfast held a week ago called, “Celebrating our Success and Mapping the Future,” at which SCC and its partners, The Career Place and the City of Somerville, acknowledged participating employers, and officially introduced the Employer’s Pledge Card for businesses who want to join the program. More than 20 employers and community members participated.

The pledge, presented by Jobs for Somerville – a SCC group of residents that advocates for better jobs and work conditions in Somerville – asks employers in Somerville to give priority and first notice to Somerville residents in the hiring process. The pledge will grant employers access to a pool of job seekers (“Talent Bank”) that are supported by hard and soft skills training opportunities, English classes, and ongoing case management and coaching. Employers enrolled in the program will have an opportunity to work closely with the SFSJI team to identify potential matches to fill their posted positions. Also, they will have access to job fairs completely organized and publicized by the SFSJI like the one celebrated this Wednesday.

“We are off to a great start since we started 6 months ago, we have been excited to see the growing interest in this program, and can see its enormous potential in months and years ahead as all of us work together to connect the parts,” Meridith Levy, Deputy Director at SCC, concluded.

For more information about how to get enrolled in the SFSJI, both employers and job seekers should contact Jorge Colón, 617-776-5931, x232 or jcolon@somerville.org. Visit the Talent Bank online at http://somervillecdc.org/firstsource.