City of Duluth Hosts Drive-Thru Job Fair

DULUTH, Minn.– As people try to get back to work during the pandemic, the city of Duluth and CareerForce are trying a never before way to connect employers and job seekers.

The city of Duluth got the idea for a drive thru job fair after seeing other cities in northwestern Wisconsin do the same a few weeks ago. And today they were ready in-person to help people in Duluth find work.

“There’s a lot of employers who are hiring right now,” said Elena Foshay, Workforce Development Director for the City of Duluth.

Drivers pulled up through the entrance of Wheeler Field in west Duluth, greeted by workers to help answer any questions they might have.

People were given a packet of job postings, featuring over 50 employers with job openings to get people in the northland back to work.

After hosting several virtual job fairs during the pandemic and with CareerForce’s offices closed. Organizers say it’s great to have a way to meet with people who don’t have the resources to find work virtually and help them out during these tough times.

“You can’t just drop in and ask [employers] if they’re hiring right now so sometimes it’s a little bit harder to find those jobs so we’re trying to make the information really accessible, really easy, deliver it in a safe environment,” said Foshay.

Megan Stemper was one person who took advantage of the drive thru job fair. When she heard about it on Facebook, Stemper thought it would be a great way to help find her friends and family find a career during the pandemic.

“I think a lot of my friends and family just kind of took whatever jobs they could or they are in a job because it is a job versus not having one. So I think that it’s more of that they’re just looking for better fits,” said Stemper.

CareerForce says the 100-plus job listings from Wednesday will be posted on the Duluth Work Force Development’s website for those who couldn’t make it.