The Rochelle Hiring Expo, presented by the city of Rochelle, the Rochelle Chamber of Commerce, Kishwaukee College and Rochelle Township High School, was held March 12 at the high school.
The event was free for employers, job-seekers and RTHS students. RTHS seniors and juniors participated in the event for an hour before it opened to the public. The public hiring expo event began in recent years after a workforce shortage was seen post COVID-19. It melded well with the yearly RTHS career fair, causing the events to be combined.
City Director of Community Engagement Jenny Thompson said the event saw a “great” turnout with students, job- seekers from the public and 32 area employers participating.
“This morning, we had the high school juniors and seniors here,” Thompson said. “I think they did an awesome job of going around and speaking with all of the employers and learning how a job fair works and what to do at a job fair. It’s great exposure for all of the kids to have this experience in a safe, local environment with people they’re familiar with and know. We’re excited and we hope everyone finds exactly what they’re looking for.”
In the years since the hiring expo was first held, organizers have streamlined the planning process, making the event easier to put on, Thompson said. RTHS handles the venue logistics, Kish College gets employers signed up and the city and the chamber handle promotion and more.
Thompson said the hiring expo will continue to be held going forward as long as demand is seen for it from employers and jobseekers.
“The employers really make the event,” Thompson said. “We were really excited by the amount of interest from area employers. We had employers from outside of Rochelle reach out. While we started this job fair to help out our local industries and employers, we also want to make sure we’re helping our local residents find opportunities that work for them. We were excited to welcome area employers as well.”
The hiring expo is a way for the city and the other organizing entities to provide a benefit for Rochelle’s business community, Thompson said.
“We’re always trying to think outside the box,” Thompson said. “If there’s something we can do or an idea that comes up that’s feasible for us, then we’re all ears and ready to help carry it out.”
Chamber Executive Director Tricia Herrera said the aspects of the event she enjoys include the involvement of RTHS students, face-to-face interaction, and building of connections between community stakeholders.
While the workforce situation for Rochelle’s employers has improved since the COVID-19 pandemic, Herrera said there is still work to be done.
“I’m still hearing that we have a lot of companies that say they could be hiring every day for different positions and skills,” Herrera said. “The need is a lot less than it was around the COVID-19 pandemic. But it’s still a need. And there’s need for our job-seekers. Maybe it’s someone that already has a job and they’re looking for a new position to further their career. It’s always good to see what’s out there.”
Herrera called the event “a great collaboration” between the city, chamber and Kish College. Those organizations and representatives from local employers spending the day in one location at the hiring expo is another benefit of the event, she said. “We’re going to step up and give our employers a place and voice to find new employees,” Herrera said. “We always like having so many stakeholders and employees in the same room for a day. From a chamber perspective, some of the industries I speak to today, I don’t get to be in front of them all the time. I can talk to them about what needs they have.”