West Michigan Works! and its Discover Manufacturing and the Agribusiness Talent Councils are hosting two Career Fair Carnivals along the Lakeshore, offering free food, family-friendly activities, job seeker resources and onsite interviews. Career Fair Carnivals will feature employers in the food processing and manufacturing industries.
The Lakeshore events will be Tuesday, June 18, from 4-7 p.m. at Muskegon Community College, 221 S. Quarterline Road in Muskegon, and Tuesday, June 25, from 4-7 p.m. at the Grand Rapids Community College Lakeshore Campus, 12335 James St. in Holland.
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WMW!The Career Fair Carnivals will offer free food, family-friendly activities, job seeker resources and onsite interviews.
Attendees can also explore industry career paths and community resources available to help them enter these high-demand industries. Several employers will conduct onsite interviews. Spread among the four events are employers with the following open positions:
- Assisting die makers
- Assembly/production line
- Casting technician
- CNC apprentice machinist
- Electrical controls specialist
- Electrician
- Facilities technician
- Final inspector
- Food handler
- Forklift driver
- General production labor
- Journeyman electrician
- Shipping/receiving
- Machine technician
- Machine maintenance
- Machine operator
- Machinist
- Machinist/apprentice
- Maintenance mechanic
- Maintenance technician
- Manufacturing technician
- Material handler
- Packaging operator
- Press Brake operator
- Processing sanitation
- Quality assurance technician
- Roll form operator/technician
- Sanitation technician
- Team leader
- Test and validation technician
- Utilities technician
- Warehouse
- Welder/fabricator
- Production worker
- Batcher and baker
- Machine operators
- Warehouse operations
- Order processing
- Material handler
- Logistics and supply chain
- Quality control
In addition to career resources and interviews, the events will feature free food vouchers and family-friendly activities, including an inflatable obstacle course, a glitter tattoo artist, carnival games, and a balloon animal artist.
"This innovative hiring concept is a fun and accessible approach to recruitment and hiring,” says Tim Vogelzang, chief financial officer for Revolution Farms. "Regardless of where a job seeker may find themselves in their employment journey, the Career Fair Carnival offers a range of resources to support them.”
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WMW!The Career Fair Carnivals will offer family-friendly activities.
Attendees will also learn about low- or no-cost, short-term training funded by the One Workforce grant, which can prepare job seekers for these careers:
- Cabinet assembler
- CNC machinists
- CNC programmer
- Electrical engineers
- HVAC installer/mechanic
- Industrial engineering technician
- Maintenance and repair workers
- Manufacturing engineer
- Manufacturing engineer production supervisor
- Manufacturing manager
- Mechatronics automation technician
- Manufacturing production senior manager
- Millwright
- Quality control inspector
- Quality control manager
- Welder
“The event provides career explorers and their families a fun and engaging way to become educated decision makers on their future,” says Steve Heethuis, director of talent development for Praeco Skills.
Jobs in manufacturing and food processing offer competitive wages and career advancement opportunities. According to the
West Michigan Works! 2024 Hot Jobs List, agribusiness and advanced manufacturing occupations make up more than half of the top 100 high-demand careers in the region. These jobs demonstrate a growth rate of at least 10%, a minimum of 50 annual openings, and wages at or above $14.30 per hour in Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Kent, Montcalm, Muskegon, and Ottawa counties.
Advanced manufacturing is a critical sector for Michigan's economy. According to the
National Association of Manufacturers, the manufacturing industry accounts for 19% of the state's total output and employs 14% of the workforce.
Michigan's agriculture sector produces over 300 commodities on a commercial basis, including tart cherries, blueberries, dry beans, floriculture products, and cucumbers for pickles. According to the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development, the state’s agriculture industry employs over 805,000 people and contributes more than $104.7 billion annually to the state's economy.
For additional details about the manufacturing and food processing Career Fair Carnivals and to register, visit
https://www.discover-manufacturing.com/careerfair.
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