Media contact: Laura Byrnes, APR
Communications Manager
Office: 352-291-9559 | Cell: 352-816-1264
lbyrnes@workforceconnectionfl.com

(OCALA, Fla.) – Workforce Connection will hold a “Hire a Grad” forum on May 31 designed to connect graduating college students to job interviews, training and employment opportunities.

“Hire a Grad” features an on-site and virtual job fair as well as workshops designed to help graduates make the transition from college to career. There is no charge to participate in the program which takes place from 1-5 p.m. at the College of Central Florida’s Klein Conference Center in Ocala.

Workforce Connection CEO Rusty Skinner said the forum addresses issues college graduates and their parents often have at this time of year, chiefly, how and when will they find employment?

“Once they’ve earned their degree, and the pomp and circumstance has faded to a pleasant memory, the question for many graduates is, ‘what’s next’”? Skinner said. “The ‘Hire a Grad’ program is all about providing answers and, ultimately, jobs.”

During the half-day forum, participants may meet with employers as well as apply for jobs, network with workforce professionals, and learn about making the transition from college to work as well as best practices for using social media in a job search.

Workforce Connection’s event complements the statewide Hire Florida Grads initiative launched late last week by Gov. Rick Scott. That initiative challenges business, workforce and education leaders to help match Florida graduates with jobs.

Skinner said that Workforce Connection is an advocate of “what we see as a logical link to connecting employers throughout Florida to the talented young people graduating from our colleges and universities.”

He added that Workforce Connection works throughout the year with the College of Central Florida (CF), Community Technical and Adult Education (CTAE), Withlacoochee Technical Institute, Rasmussen College, Taylor College and other postsecondary schools to connect graduates with local employment opportunities, and is available to assist graduates returning to the area from Florida’s colleges and universities as well as those graduates who attended out-of-state institutions.

A key feature of the statewide Hire Florida Grads initiative is the HireFloridaGrads.com web portal to enhance the job search efforts of work-ready graduates. By entering a small amount of information, graduates will be plugged into the state’s premier online job bank, making it possible for those in Florida’s workforce system to connect them to employers seeking talented new graduates.

“We commend Governor Scott for taking this first step to providing Florida employers with a simple, easy-to-find location to access the talent leaving our colleges and universities,” Skinner said

Last year, more than 426,000 Floridians assisted by the workforce system went to work, including more than 10,400 job seekers in the Workforce Connection region.

Employers interested in hiring college graduates/participating in the on-site or virtual job fair   should contact Workforce Connection’s business development team at 352-873-7955 or 800-746-9950.

College graduates may find out more about “Learn Here Earn Here” and sign up for the forum by visiting www.WorkforceConnectionFL.com.

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