More than 200 attend Lenoir Community College’s annual career fair

KINSTON, N.C. — Roughly 60 employers set up booths at Lenoir Community College Wednesday for a career fair that drew more than 200 job seekers from across the community.

The annual event was open to the public, not just college students. Many employers returned for the yearly fair, while new businesses, including Airbus, attended for the first time. NC Works also participated, offering resume assistance and access to career counselors.

Organizers said they were impressed by Wednesday’s turnout after attendance declined in 2020, and noted those numbers are starting to rise again.

Dawn Kantz, dean of workforce development at LCC, said the event reflects broader hiring trends in the region.

“It shows that our economy is doing well,” Kantz said. “I mean they are still hiring, especially in this economy, and people are still looking for jobs. They want to do that face to face and not online. It’s really exciting to see everybody here still wants to meet people.”

Kantz added it is important for job seekers to have an outlet to speak with employers directly and hand resumes and applications to potential employers in person, rather than having applications get lost online.

Bill Green, executive director of the Eastern Carolina Workforce Development Board, said the region is seeing a rise in both job openings and potential employees.

“We’re coming off a period where, again, there has been a lot of jobs per employer,” Green said. “That has tightened up some, as it often does, so it does look like there’s more demand in jobs from the job seekers. I think that will swing back again, that’s just how it seems to work overtime.”

Green added that bringing the NC Works unit to job fairs allows more job seekers to connect with potential employers through resume reviews and meetings with career counselors.