North Bend’s Umpqua Bank will host a Community Job Fair, 2 to 5 p.m., Thursday, June 22, in the bank’s parking lot and community room, with more than a dozen local employers.
Rob Wotton is the Umpqua Bank manager, event organizer and a member of the Snoqualmie Economic Development Commission. He explained that the idea for the hiring event came from Janice Evans, the HR director of Technical Glass Products of Snoqualmie Ridge, in her testimony before the commission about a year ago. The first hiring event happened last October at the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital.
Local officials will be on hand to open the event. Mayors Matt Larson of Snoqualmie and Ken Hearing of North Bend are scheduled to make brief remarks.
Work Source Seattle-King County is assisting with employer and job seeker recruitment, as well as managing a registration site for jobseekers at www.eventbrite.com/e/north-bend-community-job-fair-tickets-34833757707. Work Source is a state agency that helps match employers and employees.
There is no cost to attend the event, for either job seekers or employers. Event sponsors include the Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce, cities of Snoqualmie and North Bend, the Snoqualmie Tribe, and Snoqualmie Valley Transportation.
The goal of the event is to match people who are commuting out of the community with local job openings. According to the U.S. Census, almost 12,000 Snoqualmie Valley residents commute out of the Valley every day for work. Conversely, there are about 6,000 jobs between North Bend and Snoqualmie, nearly 4,000 people commute here to help fill.
Roleta Batiste of Work Source added that the event is intended for people currently looking for work as well as passive job seekers — people who were full-time parents but whose children are now grown, for instance.
Job seekers should bring copies of their resumes and dress for job interviews.
Among the employers confirmed to be at the fair are Technical Glass Products, Encompass NW, Nintendo, Snoqualmie Valley Hospital, Spacelabs Healthcare, Zetec, Snoqualmie Valley Transit, Commercial Driving School, Terex/Genie Industries, US Postal Service, Home Depot, Bartell Drugs, Salish Lodge and The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge.
The bank is located close to Metro Bus Routes 208 and 628. Participants can also schedule a ride through Snoqualmie Valley Transportation by calling (425) 888-7001, or visiting www.svtbus.org.
For more information, contact Wotton at (425) 831-2749.
