Salina Journal
Help is wanted all over Salina.
That was the driving force behind Wednesday's KansasWorks Spring Job Festival at the National Guard Armory, 1127 Armory Road.
"We've done an annual fall employment expo for 19 years," said Phyllis Anderson, director of community resource development at OCCK, "and people have mentioned in the past that maybe we ought to think about doing something in the springtime, too. But this time, the calls were a lot louder and more persistent. They really need people and they really need people now."
In short order, 32 businesses were assembled for the job fair, which was from 3 to 7 p.m. and featured the KansasWorks Mobile Center, a recreational vehicle equipped with computer work stations for job-seekers to update their resumes and search online job listings.
Aaron Johnson, 23, and Emanuel Davis, 20, both of Salina, stopped by several booths.
"I'm looking for any job that won't bore me," Davis said. "I've been doing like a filing job and a two-day job I get done in two hours, and I'm just bored the rest of the day."
Johnson's search was more specific.
"I'm looking for a graphic designer's position," he said. "We're just looking around and seeing what's available."
Johnson and Davis knew what they were not looking for.
"I just don't want to work in a fast food place," Johnson said.
"I had my fill of that last year," Davis said.
Employers on hand included Lowe's, Tony's Pizza, Exline, Salina Regional Health Center, Crestwood and several employment agencies that offered an array of opportunities.
Lots of work in Salina
The Arnold Group table, manned by branch manager Nicky McBurney, featured a sign listing 16 different job opportunities.
"We're like a one-stop shop, not only for companies but for individuals looking for employment," McBurney said. "This is wonderful. Any job fair we can get ahold of, we grab."
Maureen Toll, director of work force program development at the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, had information on hand from 120 employers.
"We tell them that the best way to get a job is to be aggressive," Toll said. "If you see a company you like, tell them, 'This is what I can do.' "
Aleta Flaherty, human resources manager for Lowe's, said her store is seeking 15 to 20 employees.
"We're mainly making ourselves known to the community that we're in the hiring mode," she said. "We are still looking for some seasonal summer employment and letting them know we've got business opportunities for anybody. They can make it a career or they can just work for the summer."
The employers' need for employees is a good sign for the local economy, event organizer Anderson said.
"They need people for the summer, and they need people because they're ramping up their business and they can't find enough people to do all the jobs that they have," she said. "It's kind of different than what we're hearing in other parts of the (national) economy."
n Reporter Darrin Stineman can be reached at 822¬-1416 or by e-mail at dstineman@salina.com.
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