ST. CLAIRSVILLE — OhioMeansJobs will be hosting the 2024 Ohio Valley Job Fair on April 17 at the Ohio Valley Mall.

The event will be from 1-4 p.m. that Wednesday.

“The job fair will provide you a great opportunity to meet with many businesses, agencies and training providers at one location to gather information on community resources, training programs, and to find a job and begin a career,” states in a pamphlet given to The Times Leader.

The pamphlet also lists a few tips for success, such as making a good first impression, dressing appropriately and knowing your employment history. If you are in need of a resume, visit OhioMeansJobs Belmont County for assistance.

Workforce Supervisor Mike Schlantz spoke about the growth of the job fair since its inception. He said that six years ago it started at the St. Clairsville Recreation Center with about 40-50 employers and eventually outgrew the capacity there, so organizers switched to the Ohio Valley Mall. This has led to a great relationship between the mall and the organization.

“It’s a win-win for us and the mall. It could bring some business into the mall on a Wednesday,” he said.

As of Wednesday, the Job Fair has 67 businesses signed up to participate, but Schlantz is hopeful that even more will be registered by the time of the event.

Belmont County Department of Job & Family Services Director Jeff Felton said “even though this event is an annual event where many businesses come together, these services are offered every day.” Outside of the job fair, OhioMeansJobs have services at the job center in Martins Ferry. OhioMeansJobs also post jobs that are hiring online on its website at OhioMeansJobs.com.

Felton also gave credit to Schlantz and his staff for being the “point of the spear, when it comes to trying to get people employment.” Felton also spoke about the importance of child care.

“I just heard the other day that people could send their kids to Ohio State University for cheaper than paying for child care,” Felton said.

He believes that people who left the workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic realized that they were basically working just to cover the cost of child care.

Schlantz said that “based on eligibility guidelines, we can help pay for training if someone wants to go into welding. We do a lot of CDL training, where we can pay for people to get their CDL, which is a quick opportunity for employment.”

According to Schlantz, depending on where one goes to get their CDL training, it would be a four- to six-week program.

Board of Commissioners President Jerry Echemann asked Schlantz, “What are some of the other trainings that you’ve been seeing?”

Schlantz responded: “The medical field, phlebotomy, I know Belmont College has a nursing program. As long as it’s on the training provider list and is classified as in demand by the state of Ohio, we can help with that training.”