South Suburban's Career Discovery Day is back — here's what job seekers, employers need to know

Three Big Ideas

1. The third annual Hire Southland Career Discovery and Workforce Development Day will be held Aug. 29 at South Suburban College in South Holland
2. It’s free and easy to sign up, or you can visit the college between 8:30 a.m. and 12 p.m.
3. Employers are looking for people with skills and those with a willingness to learn and grow.

The gap between employers and people seeking work has always been challenging to navigate: Where can employers find those who will help build their business and make it more competitive in a complex marketplace? And where can those looking for work find not just a job, but also a career that’s meaningful and flexible?

To get those questions answered, August 29 is the time, and South Suburban College is the place. The third annual Hire Southland Career Discovery and Workforce Development Day will be held that day to bring employers and prospective employees together in a low-pressure setting focused on meaningful face-to-face conversations.

The event will showcase a networking breakfast at 8:30 a.m. A panel discussion will follow at 9 a.m. in the college’s auditorium and will feature workforce development experts and those well-versed in working with high school and college-aged people to speak about bridging that employment gap. The business exhibitor and resource fair will kick off at 10:30 a.m. in the atrium.

Best of all, it’s free with an easy sign up here. Attendees also can simply come over that morning.

According to Manny Davila, vice president of programs and client services for event host Southland Development Authority, job seekers have many obstacles to overcome.

Those could include: “Not knowing what careers are available to them,” Davila said. “Limited awareness of training and apprenticeship programs.”

That’s just the start. Davila added that there is a “huge density of metals manufacturing in the south suburbs … So many things you can do to have a fruitful career.” That includes welding, CNC for machine tooling and electrical trades.

Hire Southland is a place to learn more. But it’s also a place to overcome misperceptions, he said. For example, some may think manufacturing is dark, dirty and dangerous with an inflexible schedule, but it’s really not. And that’s not all. Where is childcare in relation to an employer? For that matter, what public transportation is available?

Davila said prospective employees are looking for different things than their past counterparts.

“[They want to] find work that helps them live a fuller life outside of work, and wages that don’t make you feel like you have to work two or three jobs,” Davila said. “Work that is meaningful. Job seekers are looking for an employer that expects them to hold a high standard.”

On the other hand, employers are looking for people with skills, but they don’t need to have every skill. Instead, a willingness to learn and an eye on growth is sufficient.

“They are looking at an individual they can invest time and resources to grow into the next level of the organization,” Davila said. “People that are reliable and show up, are willing to learn and implement what they are learning.”

Another key for job seekers is to have a strategy, he said, something that they will learn at Hire Southland.

“The first step for anybody is to get a sense of what your experience looks like and write it down,” he said. “For young people, they discount the experience they have. Maybe someone has been the secretary of a student club or was student manager on the football team. These things can be translated into skills for an employer, like leadership.”

South Suburban College is located at 15800 State St. in South Holland. If you are a member of an organization or company that is interested in participating in Hire Southland, contact Southland Development Authority’s Sergio Anariba at 708-325-8375 or at sergio.anariba@southlanddevelopment.org.