First Posted: 1/28/2015
LIMA — Officials in Lima and Allen County have been talking about a shortage of qualified employees in the area for months and the need seemed obvious at a local job fair on Wednesday.
Apollo Career Center hosted the job fair on its campus Wednesday afternoon, and it featured about 50 employers with open positions.
“Apollo alone is getting calls daily and weekly from companies and they are experiencing critical shortages of employees,” said Brenda Burgy, public information specialist at Apollo. “We want to link the job seekers with the employers.”
Employers were calling Burgy the day of the fair to try to get a spot and an estimated more than 500 job seekers attended.
Orick Stamping in Elida was among the 50 employers looking for qualified candidates.
“I’m just having a hard time finding people who want to come work,” said Lisa Baumgardner, human resources specialist with Orick, who was at the fair looking for tool and die makers, welders and other positions. “It’s not hard work.”
Orick was looking for 10 to 12 employees to supplement the approximately 100 who work at Orick currently. Failing drug tests, lack of qualifications and attendance have all been barriers to finding the employeees the company needs, she said.
Wells Brothers in Anna has similar challenges when it comes to finding skilled trades people.
“Our business is growing and it’s just very difficult to fill all the positions we have open because it’s hard to find skilled trades people,” said Natalie Plate, director of human resources at Wells.
The industrial contracting company is looking to fill more than a dozen positions.
“We basically try to explore every avenue of recruitment we can,” Plate said, as the company has trouble finding candidates with experience.
The company, with about 160 current employees, has had success with Apollo alumni, she said.
The three big industries represented at the fair were manufacturing, transportation logistics and health care, Burgy said.
“The demand we’re seeing for the job fair is a great illustration of the need that exists with business and industry for us as a community to establish a pipeline of skilled employees,” she said.
