This spring, the Association of Manufacturers Bay Area (AMBayArea) partnered with Bay Area Community Colleges (BACC) to hold a region-wide (virtual) manufacturing job fair to connect manufacturers and jobseekers. The online event, which was held on Friday, March 19 from 1 to 5 p.m., was attended by approximately 200 jobseekers and 80 reps from 35 manufacturing companies. Attendees participated in more than 500 chats (or online conversations) between candidates and companies.

“We hired a CNC machinist with a good skill set. This was a great opportunity for us to pre-vet candidates. It really simplifies the process,” said Deborah Camp, Vice President for GM Quartz. “We met more than 25 job seekers and scheduled follow-up interviews with several of them. It was a fantastic event. I plan to participate in as many virtual job fairs as AMBayArea offers.”

GM Quartz was one of 35 companies hiring for positions that included machinist, die maker, maintenance tech, engineering technician, administrative assistant, office manager, metal grainer, electrician, production line laborer, quality assurance technician and/or manager, prototype specialist, welder, customer support technician, machine shop technician, bottling mechanic, fabricator, production analyst, pipefitter, forklift operator, production planner, lab technician and more.

AMBayArea utilized an online platform that provided employers the opportunity to:

• Promote their company to trained students and entry-level jobseekers with a virtual booth featuring videos, photos and job postings
• Chat one-on-one and request video meetups in real-time
• Review resumes prior to and during the event
• Schedule follow-up interviews
• Access to jobseekers’ resumes and contact information following the event

The event was free for jobseekers to attend. To attract a large and diverse talent pool, the event was promoted through Bay Area community colleges, workforce development boards, career counselors, partner websites and social media.

Company booth fees were based on the company size, and AMBayArea members received a 50% discount on booth registration. In a follow-up survey, company representatives reported that they would attend (77%) or consider attending (23%) a future job fair.

Company booths included from 3D Fab Light, Advantage Metal Products, Altec, Bay Ship & Yacht, Baywork, Casa Sanchez Foods, Craftsman Unity, Creative Labels, Custom Gear & Machine, Delphon Industries, Dunlop Manufacturing, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, General Foundry Service, Gillig, GM Quartz, IMG Companies, Kortick Manufacturing, Lawrence Livermore National Labs, McNeal Enterprises, Merrill’s Packaging, Mettler-Toledo Rainin, MOZ Designs, Opus 12, Primal Pet Foods, Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services, Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling, Sanmina, Santini Foods, Scandic Springs, Sunnytech, Tesla, Therm-x, Torani, Tri Tool and UHV Sputtering. 

AMBayArea’s Workforce Development Committee is in the process of planning another virtual manufacturing job fair. Check AMBayArea’s calendar of events regularly and follow AMBayArea on Linkedin and Twitter to stay up to date on programs and events.