Over 480,000 Washingtonians filed initial claims for unemployment between March 15 – April 4. And that does not yet include all of the people who are still trying to file an unemployment claim.  Since we are unable to hold traditional in-person job fairs to connect this unprecedented number of unemployed individuals with employers who do have jobs available, Washington state Employment Security Department (ESD) is seeking to support the healthcare industry by hosting a statewide pilot Virtual Job Fair the week of May 4, 2020 (exact time still to be determined).

What is it?

Virtual Job Fair; takes place through a technology vendor (Brazen)

Why?

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the Economic Security Department (ESD) has an enormous pool of potential job-seekers that we hope to match with employers facing increased demand at this time. We are focused on helping those industries – healthcare, grocery/food, logistics/transportation, etc.- that are in need of qualified employees.

How does it work?

Employers that are interested will work directly with a representative at ESD and at Brazen to set up a “virtual booth” the fair. This will include submitting relevant information about the company, the job openings, and any other relevant information that an employer would typically have available at a job fair. Employers/recruiters will have the ability to specific the type(s) of candidates (experience, required certificates, etc.) they want in advance, and they’ll have the ability to live chat with candidates during the event. Employers can access the job-seekers resume in advance of the event as well.

How much time do employers need to dedicate to this?

The event will last between 1-6 hours depending on the number of employers and job-seekers registered. Preparation in advance of the event again depends on the number of positions the employer is looking to fill, but as soon as employers register and identify who the recruiters will be, they will get a link to training resources that would be recommended for the first time.

How do job-seekers apply?

Job-seekers register wherever the register link is made available (employer website, ESD website, etc.), but must register in advance to participate. Upon registering,  they are able to upload their resumes and we can add additional fields to gather more info from job-seekers up front.

In case you want to learn more, here are some materials for you to watch/review:

• Video demo of Brazen virtual job fair platform that you can take a look at to get a better feel for how an actual VJF works
• Booth Owner Training Video + Guide. 
• Everything you need to know about Virtual Events  

Questions?

Contact: