Senator Parker Matches Employers with 250 Out of Work New Yorkers at Annual Job Fair

Brooklyn, NY- Yesterday, more than 250 out-of-work New Yorkers attended the 7^th Annual Job Fair hosted by State Senator Kevin Parker and Councilmember Jumaane Williams at Brooklyn College’s Student Center. More than 20 organizations and companies – ranging from city and state agencies to independent retailers – connected with potential candidates to share current employment and training opportunities.

At the all-day event, job seekers who are among those affected by Brooklyn’s 8.3 % unemployment rate had the opportunity to attend free job readiness workshops - Résumé Writing; How to Ace Your Interview, and Talk like a Pro: Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter Edition - facilitated by the nonprofit organizations Hope Program and Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow.  The two nonprofits are aimed at empowering New York youth and adults to achieve economic self-sufficiency and financial security through employment and advancement.

“This year’s job fair not only matched employers with viable candidates, but we also reminded people to be mindful of their social media branding and how to use social networking tools to advance their search,” said Senator Parker. “I’m particularly pleased to have partnered with my colleague and friend Councilmember Jumaane Williams to cast a wider net for applicants and bring them to this event where they could potentially meet their next employer,” the five-term Brooklyn lawmaker concluded.

Participating companies include Wildlife Conservation Society; St. Nicks Alliance; CAMBA; Kingsborough Community College; Avon; Penda Aiken, Inc; Primerica; NYC Department of Environmental Protection; nPower; Workshops in Business Opportunities (WIBO); Time Warner Cable; the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and more companies.

“Unemployment is a reality for too many New Yorkers,” said Council Member Jumaane D. Williams (D-Brooklyn), Deputy Leader and Chair of the Council’s Housing and Building’s Committee. “I was pleased to partner with Sen. Parker so together we could ensure our shared constituents were not only able to speak directly with employers, but so they also had access to useful job training workshops. Helping people access employment opportunities not only helps the individual, it strengthens the family and community at large.”

“This was a great experience. I particularly appreciate the well-rounded representation of employers and recruiters,” said Pascale Dommercant, an East Flatbush resident and recent college graduate from the State University of New York College at Buffalo. “I hope to get a call back from at least one of the contacts I made today!” exclaimed Dommercant.

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About Senator Kevin Parker

Senator Kevin S. Parker is intimately familiar with the needs of his ethnically diverse Brooklyn community that consists of 318,000 constituents in Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood, Ditmas Park, Kensington, Windsor Terrace, and Park Slope.  He is the Ranking Member of the Senate Committees on Energy and Telecommunications and Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Assistant Democratic Leader for Intergovernmental Affairs, and Chair of the Democratic Task Force on New Americans.