RCGC Reverse Job Fair Introduces ACT Students to Employers

The Rowan College at Gloucester County (RCGC) Adult Center for Transition’s (ACT) Employment First Program hosted its second reverse job fair on Friday, April 20, connecting employers to local job-seekers with disabilities who are ready to put their talents to work.

For the 11 ACT students participating in the event, it was a unique way to meet and greet potential employers, to highlight skills and talents, and practice interview skills.

RCGC’s reverse job fair offers employers the opportunity to converse with young job-seekers one-on-one as they showcase their strengths and demonstrate just how much value an Employment First Program client can bring to any business or organization. Job-seeking ACT students set up tables with copies of their resume, prepared presentations and visual representations of their skills and career goals. Eighteen local businesses attended the reverse job fair, including Robin’s Nest Inc., Parke Bank, Goodwill Industries and Under the Sun Learning Center.

“This reverse job fair is an accumulation of the students’ hard work and time at the Adult Center for Transition,” stated ACT Employment Specialist/Supervisor Alice Smith. “It encompasses what they have learned and the career opportunities they have explored.”

For current ACT student and eager job-seeker Rose Burns, who has a passion for animals and gardening, the day helped to build her confidence. Burns, of Cherry Hill, has been enrolled in the ACT program for two years and graduates in May.

“I think it will help me to get a job in the future and get some experience,” said Burns, a volunteer at PAWS Discovery Farm in Mt. Laurel. Visitors stopping to chat with Burns quickly learned that she is an energetic and dedicated worker when it comes to caring for small animals, horses and reptiles.

“Rose is very knowledgeable about plants and animals,” said Kate Royal, vice president of Human Resources & Administrative Services at Robin’s Nest Inc. in Glassboro. “I think this event is incredible. It’s very helpful to students. I’ve worked in human resources for 17 years and this is a great opportunity to meet a lot of different people.”

Other students seeking employment at the Reverse Job Fair included Stephen Alscher, of West Deptford, a volunteer Thorofare firefighter who received the 2017 Fireman of the Year Award, and Charles Gumpert, of Swedesboro, who is looking for a position in the maintenance field.

ACT’s Employment First Program seeks to prepare disabled job hunters for employment while working within the community to establish partnerships with local businesses to create the employment opportunities their clients need. Employment First job coaches guide clients through every step of identifying, preparing for and obtaining their goal of paid employment. Last year, two of the eight students participating in the job fair were hired at local businesses.

For more information about RCGC’s Adult Center for Transition and the Employee First Program, visit RCGC.edu/ACT.

Rowan College at Gloucester County is located at 1400 Tanyard Road in Deptford, just off Exit 56 of Route 55.

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