Some 55 employers in Hunterdon and Somerset counties will offer information about hundreds of job openings at their businesses during the Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board (GRWDB) Drive-Thru Job Fair, running from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, April 15, at Raritan Valley Community College, Branchburg.

Employers of all sizes in the two counties are taking part in the free event. The employers represent a range of industries, including healthcare, education, IT, logistics, manufacturing retail sales, restaurants, salons, the U.S. Post Office, and many more. Almost all of have multiple job openings. In addition, eight career-support agencies will offer information.  The list of participants sharing their information can be found here.

This is the second Drive-Thru Job Fair organized by the GRWDB; the first event, conducted last October at the Somerset Patriots TD Bank Ballpark, attracted 250 job seekers.

“Given the need we are seeing in our area, we are planning for 400 job-seeker participants on April 15,” said Violet Kocsis, GRWDB Board Chair and Senior Vice President of Corporate Services, CHRO, Hunterdon Healthcare. “We thank Raritan Valley Community College for agreeing to host the event this spring, and Somerset County government departments who help the GRWDB ready materials for distribution.”

Employers will not be present at this free event. Participating employers have provided to the GRWDB 400 one-page recruitment flyers detailing their companies’ available positions and how to apply.

The recruitment flyers are being added to individual packets. On April 15, job seekers are invited to come to Raritan Valley Community College where GRWDB staff and partners will be stationed in the parking lot across from the RVCC Workforce Training Center and will hand out complete packets to drivers – one per car.

Registration for job seekers is not required but is encouraged so that participants can be connected to other career-related resources. Staff distributing the bag of career information will be wearing masks and gloves. Drivers should observe safety protocols as well.

More shareable information for job seekers is available here.

And job seekers take note: On April 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Middlesex County Workforce Development Board will be conducting a Drive-Thru Job Fair at Robert E. Holmes Gardens, 14 Rev. Samuel Carpenter Blvd., Edison, 08820. The two events are part of a regional approach to let job seekers know that there are still opportunities available in their local areas.

The Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board oversees federally and state-funded career and employment services for businesses and residents in Hunterdon and Somerset counties. A variety of virtual career-readiness workshops, training programs, job information sessions and other services are offered regularly by workforce system partners. These opportunities can be viewed on the calendar tab of www.thegrwdb.org.

Weekly text alerts highlight career services and job opportunities in the area; text “onestop” to 565-12 to sign up.

Through policy, oversight, and planning The Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board ensures that workforce training and education are responsive to and meet the needs of employers and job seekers. Your local workforce system will continue to update partners and the community as the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic evolves.

Working with the Somerset County Public Information Office, system partners collaborated on two videos to explain our mission and vision to employers and job seekers in these ever-changing times.

Go here to hear about our services for employers. Employers also can go to the resources/employers tab on our website for more links and information.

Go here to hear about our service for job seekers. Job seekers also can go to the resources / job seekers tab on our website for more links and information.

These pages also have links to the state’s Cov-19 Information Hub page which has a vast amount of information and resources, including for businesses and community members. A COVID-19 Jobs and Hiring Portal also is updated regularly.

In  the Greater Raritan area, because of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Greater Raritan One-Stop Career Training Service Centers at 6 Gauntt Place in Flemington and 27 Warren St. in Somerville are closed to in-person visits. Staff are continuing to assist customers over the phone, via email and through virtual appointments. Customers are asked to call 908-541-5780 or email onestop@co.somerset.nj.us for assistance.

In addition, the Greater Raritan One-Stop Career Center at 75 Veterans Memorial Drive in Somerville is not offering in-person service. For the health and safety of staff and customers, services will continue to be offered virtually or by telephone only. For information on career services, call 908-704-3000.

Virtual career services for job seekers also are highlighted on the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s website.

And please remember: All unemployment-related services are being done online or through the call centers. Customers who need to file new Unemployment Insurance claims are asked to apply online at https://myunemployment.nj.gov.

Customers unable to access the Internet should call the following numbers: North Jersey, 201-601-4100; Central Jersey, 732-761-2020; Southern Jersey: 856-507-2340. Hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday.

Residents in Hunterdon, Middlesex and Somerset counties who are unemployed because of COVID-19 have access to a new training grant program through the counties’ workforce development boards.

The Consortium of the Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board (serving Hunterdon and Somerset counties) and the Workforce Development Board of Middlesex County has received $277,750 in COVID-19 Dislocated Worker Grants from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

This first-time collaboration between the two workforce boards aim to serve at least 50 individuals from the three counties through their One-Stop Career Training Services Centers who have lost their jobs or face significant reduction in hours because of the pandemic. Training opportunities in the new program focuses on four industries that are  experiencing post-COVID-19 growth:

• Healthcare
• Transportation, logistics and distribution
• Warehousing
• Selected retail sectors (food stores and home centers).

Each workforce board through their One-Stop Career Training Services Center already offers individual training grant programs for the unemployed and underemployed. This new Consortium program expands the number of residents that can be assisted and covers the program’s applicants now through August 2021.

“We know that more than 214,000 individuals in the three counties have filed for unemployment since mid-March,” said Kevin Kurdziel, director of Middlesex County’s Office of Career Opportunity and CEO of the county’s Workforce Development Board. “While many have gone back to work, many others are still looking for their next opportunity. The goal of the Consortium is to help out-of-work or underemployed residents displaced by the pandemic obtain industry-valued credentials and employment in sustainable wage career pathways.”

Eligible participants in this grant opportunity also will have the benefit of earning certificates in SkillUp Middlesex and SkillUp Greater Raritan, a free online learning portal for residents in the three counties.

“Workforce boards focus on ensuring residents have access to programs and information that help them get good-paying jobs,” said Paul Grzella, director of the Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board. “Training grants are one component of what our One-Stop Career Centers do every day, and the staffs regularly guide people to success.”

In addition to the training grants, the Consortium’s partners have other ongoing career-related services, including registered apprenticeship programs, personal assessment tools, career counseling, case management, work-readiness training, resume assistance, interview practice and preparation, job development and job placement and more.

Residents of Hunterdon and Somerset counties can find more information about the Consortium opportunity by emailing onestop@co.somerset.nj.us, or by calling 908-541-5780. For more information on all system services, visit www.thegrwdb.org, and look on the Calendar and Job Seekers tabs.

Residents of Middlesex County can find more information by emailing onestoptraining@co.middlesex.nj.us or by calling 732-745-3601. For more information on all system services, visit the Middlesex Workforce Development Board.

In addition, eligible residents in the three counties can participate in a separate training program being presented by North Jersey Partners.  This program is also for workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Program details are found here.