Brooklyn Residents Find Jobs

FROM THE OFFICE OF STATE SENATOR KEVIN PARKER

718-629-6401 ph                             718-629-6420 fax

                                                                                            Media Contact:  Mynah Gooden

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Mynah.gooden@gmail.com

Immediate Release: Monday, June 6, 2011

BROOKLYN RESIDENTS FIND JOBS

Senator Kevin Parker’s Job Fair Helps the Unemployed

Brooklyn, NY- With today’s economic uncertainty and the nation transitioning to a greener economy, State Senator Kevin Parker, in partnership with Penda Aiken, Inc., hosted his 4^th Annual Job Fair which featured more than 25 federal, state, private and non-profit companies.  The goal of this vital event was to match future employees with companies looking to fill immediate openings, as well as offer job seekers several job readiness training and development workshops.  Nearly 300 people thronged to the all-day event at the Flatbush YMCA, to meet with prospective employers and attend job readiness training workshops including a workshop specializing on Green Job development.  Senator Parker partnered with New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to introduce constituents to the area of green technologies.

“Investing in green industry and green collar jobs will not only improve the environment but will also spur long-term economic growth,” said Senator Parker, Ranking Democratic Member of the New York State Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee. “Green jobs are our future and working with today’s partners like NYSERDA will train people to be credentialed in this growing industry.  I believe the best hope of reviving the crumbling job market lies in the increase of green jobs,” said Sen. Parker.

Marie Ricot, a longtime East Flatbush resident attended the job fair and landed a job working for a healthcare company.  She was excited to learn that she would start working immediately;  she had been job hunting since the beginning of the year.  “This was great for all who are having trouble finding jobs because in addition to learning helpful career tips and job seeking advice, this job fair provided hope to many people who are unemployed” added Ms. Ricot.

Of the many companies represented were: UPS; New York City Human Resources Administration; the Nontraditional Employment for Women; Brooklyn Workforce 1; City University of New York (CUNY); Time Warner Cable; St. Francis College; Securitas Security Services USA, Inc.; Partners in Care; FDNY; United States Customs Border Police; New York State Department of Corrections; Visiting Nurse Services of New York, and a host of non-profit and private-sector organizations.  

Free Job Readiness workshops throughout the day focused on resume building, interview techniques and green job training on construction, engineering, energy and telecommunications were provided by the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Service; Brooklyn Education Opportunity Center (BEOC), NYSERDA and MTA New York City Transit, respectively. 

About Senator Parker

Senator Kevin S. Parker is intimately familiar with the needs of his ethnically diverse community that consists of 311,000 constituents in Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood, Ditmas Park, Kensington and Borough Park.  He sponsored three of the eleven pieces of legislation proposed in the Workforce Reinvestment Plan which, covers a broad range of employment issues including training programs, workforce credits, alternative investment and reinvestment funds, educational opportunities, green jobs initiatives, nondiscrimination legislation and tax credits.    He is the Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee, former Majority Whip and First Vice Chair or the Association of Black, Puerto Rican Asian Legislators.

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