By FRED PACE
The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — With the passage of the road bond referendum expected to bring thousands of construction jobs to the Mountain State, hundreds of people crowded into BridgeValley Community & Technical College’s Advanced Technology Center in South Charleston on Friday in search of a job.
“I am a welder and hoping to find a job in the pipeline industry,” said Cameron Woolum, 19, of Delbarton, West Virginia.
Over four hours, people filed through the hallways of tables with several vendors, including building trade unions, construction companies, workforce agencies and community organizations.
Nicholas Embrey, 20, of Charleston, said he attends BridgeValley Community & Technical College but wanted to get his resume to as many potential employers as possible.
“I am in the electrical engineering program and want to get my foot in the door with an employer before I graduate,” he said.
The Construction Trades Job Fair was a rare opportunity for job-seekers to connect with all the groups involved in the workforce development push in one place.
Brandon Williams, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 132 Training, said between the jobs available in the oil and natural gas industries in West Virginia, along with thousands of highway jobs from the West Virginia Roads to Prosperity plan, opportunities in the construction trades and industry have never been better.
“We believe it is important to be part of a job fair like this that provides people with the information they need to apply and be accepted into our apprenticeship training program,” Williams said.
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