SWBOCES Job Fair attracts dozens of prospective candidates

Openings for Teacher Aide, Office Assistant, Network Specialist and many more showcased

Melissa Sage of Yonkers came to the Southern Westchester BOCES "Students, Friends & Family" Job Fair looking for opportunities and came away excited about the possibility of a new career path in teaching.

"I'm a hairdresser right now, and I love helping people," Melissa said. "I love kids."

She learned that a number of openings for Teacher Aide positions at SWBOCES' programs could provide an entry into the education field, and could progress to the role of Teaching Assistant or even, with further eduction, an eventual teaching position.

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Making that connection between the range of employment opportunities and prospective candidates who may not otherwise be aware of them was a key goal of the Job Fair. The event drew dozens of interested candidates, strategically targeting current students in SWBOCES programs and their friends and family members, though also open to anyone who wished to come by.

The job fair was held at St. Gabriel's School in New Rochelle, which hosts Adult Literacy Program classes for ESL, GED and other classes. Many Job Fair attendees went straight to class after learning about available positions like School Monitor, Bus Driver, Office Assistant and Jr. Network Specialist.

"We are making every effort to be creative about how we get the word out about these employment opportunities," Human Resources Director Suzanne Doherty said. "These are crucial positions that support our organization in many ways. Finding quality candidates is so important to the work we do, and I'm thrilled at the interest we saw tonight in joining our team."

 Ms. Doherty was among several SWBOCES administrators and educators who were on hand to provide information about openings, to explain the application process, to show applicants how to register for civil service exams. Attendees could even complete an online job application with assistance from SWBOCES staff.

As Ms. Doherty discussed Teacher Aide positions with a young woman, another staff member nearby showed an applicant how to scan a QR code that would take them directly to an online application form. Another provided English-to-Spanish translation for a half-dozen ESL students seeking to learn about positions. "The test is free right now," Director of Adult & Community Services Tracy Racicot told applicants of the fee waiver on civil service exams through Dec. 31. "But you have to sign up for the test."

"This is such a great program," said Denise Chavez of New Rochelle. 

Ms. Chavez brought her niece, Nicole Gomez, to the job fair to find opportunities to advance beyond her current food service job. She was impressed by the resources the event made available.

"They definitely didn't have all this information available when I went to school," she said.

To learn more about job opportunities as Southern Westchester BOCES, find currently posted positions at https://olasjobs.org/SWBOCES.