LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — It's a ‘one-stop shop’ for job seekers. The JobFest at the Las Vegas Convention Center is part of the state’s efforts to give Nevadans a boost in finding work.
Our state has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, but state leaders say with hundreds of employers and more than 10,000 job openings available at this event, they are hoping to lower that rate.
The micron variant is now in 17 states. There is fear of facing another flare-up and having job security is critical for many.
JobFest was created by the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development and the Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation also known as DETR. Hundreds of employers are expected to hire for more than 10,000 job openings. Stacey Bostwick, Director of Workforce Development says people are looking for stability.
“It gives them opportunities to explore industries that maybe aren’t as susceptible to a shutdown or maybe to restrictions that we have seen before,” Bostwick said.
Nevada is still on the road to recovery from this pandemic. DETR says back at the beginning of March of last year our state had a 30% unemployment rate, now we stand at 7.3%. Progress has been made but the silver state has one of the highest rates in the country.
To help lower this number state officials created the state’s largest job fair.
“For those individuals who are worried about losing their job if there is another, heaven forbid, retraction or shut down, those are industries that will give you stability,” explained Bostwick.
Elisa Cafferata Director of says during this health crisis people in the hospitality industry have been hit the hardest. Hotels and casinos have found a way to do more with less.
This has left many without the ability to return to work, but JobFest can provide another more reliable career path.
“You’ve got great customer service, you have an attention to detail, great with people, and those are skills that a lot of employers are looking for and I think it would be a great time to see where you can put those skills to use,” Cafferata said.
