As a new year approaches, Gloucester County Board of Commissioners and the Gloucester County Workforce Development Board (WDB) have continued to focus on bringing employers and job seekers in the county together. Our goal has always been to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, through partnerships with business, educational institutions and the non-profits sector.
We are proud to say that over the later part of the last decade our unemployment in Gloucester County have drastically declined from a high of 10.5% in June 2012 to 3.1% in March of 2020, and the job fairs and recruitment events have played a vital role in that decline. As the pandemic continues to create challenges for in-person services, the American Job Center has pivoted to a hybrid virtual service model, providing greater accessibility and opportunities for our customers in a health and safe environment. As we look to the future, the WDB will continue to hold job fair events both in-person and virtually to service both employers and job seekers throughout Gloucester County. Our jobs fair events also provide residents with an opportunity to engage directly with county service organizations such as the County Clerk’s office, Office of Veterans Affairs, County Library, Social Services, People for People and the Gloucester County American Job Center.
In addition to our job fairs, the WDB also partners with Rowan College of South Jersey to offer job fair workshops to help our jobs seekers brush up on their resumes and interviewing skills. The focus of these workshops is to prepare job seekers to meet with employers and put their best foot forward. Through a coordinated effort with the Office of Economic Development, the Workforce Development Board, and Gloucester County Chamber of Commerce, Gloucester County demonstrates a strong partnership with the business community, educational institutions and county service organizations to provide an outlet for county residents to gain employment or re-enter the job world. This partnership benefits the county, our business partners, and our residents.
Sincerely,
Heather Simmons,
Board of Commissioners Liaison to Gloucester County Workforce Development Board