A new Queens Virtual Recruitment Fair will take place on Wednesday, April 22, to connect job seekers to employment opportunities in essential industries.
The virtual job fair is spearheaded by Acting Queens Borough President Sharon Lee, the Council for Airport Opportunity, the New York State Police Department, the Queens Chamber of Commerce and Workforce1. The effort comes as unemployment rates reach a record high of more than 1.2 million in New York State and 22 million nationwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Queens Virtual Recruitment Fair will take place from 2 to 3 p.m. on April 22 via WebEx, a video conferencing application. It will feature hundreds of essential service positions that are available across more than 70 employers, including the NYPD, NYC Health + Hospitals, FreshDirect, AT&T, MetroPlus, Family Dollar and Amazon.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is devastating the workforce and deepening its toll on frontline and essential workers,” said Lee. “Some industries, however, especially on the frontlines, are still hiring. This is a localized effort here in the epicenter of the pandemic, aiming to match people to immediate and vital opportunities, and to help stem the tide of this unprecedented public health and economic crisis. Although it may seem like a mere drop in an ocean, that drop can make all the difference for entire families and communities. In this race against time, our trajectory depends entirely on not just what we do, but when we do it. We are part of a greater whole, and every single effort counts.”
Prospective applicants interested in participating in the virtual job fair can RSVP at www.queensbp.org/RSVP. A live stream of the Recruitment Fair will be available at www.queensbp.org/recruitmentfair.
Prospective applicants will hear brief presentations from and/or about employers hiring now in a variety of essential service fields including healthcare, food service, retail, security and transportation.
Employers interested in featuring their available job opportunities during the Recruitment Fair can email info@queensbp.org with the subject heading “Recruitment Fair.”
“During this extremely difficult time, the Council for Airport Opportunity will continue to be a resource to the Queens community, said Council for Airport Opportunity Executive Director Andrew Campbell. “CAO is currently working with several airport employers to fill critical roles to keep our region moving. We are honored to partner with the Queens Borough President to support Queens families as they navigate this unprecedented period.”
“The Queens Chamber is honored to be part of Borough President Sharon Lee’s Queens Virtual Recruitment Fair,” said Queens Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Grech. “We applaud her work in this area and we look forward to fully supporting her efforts by engaging our entire membership.”
