Job Readiness & Career Fair
In 2009 when SUS opened our first apartment building in the Bronx for individuals with mental illness, SUS sponsored a community day in the neighborhood. It was a huge success and introduced SUS and other services to the residents of the Morris Heights community.
In our two years of being part of the Morris Heights community, we realized that there was a need for Job Readiness and Employment Skills Development. We partnered with the local Bronx Community Board #5 and WABC-TV to host a Job Readiness & Career Fair.
On Tuesday, May 10th, approximately 200 people came to the Job Readiness & Career Fair. Understanding the community needs, many of the booth hosts provided materials on training opportunities and job applications. Given that many of the individuals had never written a resume, SUS’ Human Resources Department staff led workshops on the basic elements of a resume, job interviews and appropriate dress for interviews.
Computers were available for individuals to search for jobs on-line and to create and print out resumes. Some participants took part in mock job interviews where they received feedback on how to talk about their marketable skills, though they may not have much of an employment history.
By the end of the day, hundreds of individuals gained new skills, learned about new training opportunities, and felt more confident about their future employment possibilities.
