By Jackson Schneider
MANHATTAN, Kan. — The Flint Hills Job Fair is attempting to help local businesses and organizations tackle the unemployment issue in the area. The event, held Wednesday until 5p.m., will see more than 30 prospective employers with both part-time and full-time job opportunities.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the current unemployment rate in Riley County is 4.4% as of June 2021, up 1.7% from May.
With that number in mind, as well as a large class of students at Kansas State University flooding into Manhattan, there are a plethora of positions available for people at all stages of life. So, why are businesses struggling to fill open jobs?
"I think right now there's still a lot of insecurity and indecision about the pandemic," said Crystal Malchose, a representative for Geary County, Kansas, who is hiring for a variety of county jobs. "We are taking steps at Geary County to try to make sure we get our employees vaccinated. We're not requiring it, but we're trying to incentivize them to get the shot."
Certainly, COVID-19 plays a large role in unemployment, after its initial wave, unemployment in Riley County soared to its highest ever mark in March of 2020 at 7.2%, but now with the Delta variant rearing its ugly head, it seems to be creating more obstacles for employers in every field.
Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 says it's also struggling to fill a large amount of roles throughout the district, ranging from paraeducators to food service staff and transportation. Drew Montgomery, director of human resources with the district says he thinks more people need to be aware of just how important employees are to the community, and not just the employer.
"Our classified positions are so important to help support the students and their education," said Montgomery. "The service that they provide the district is invaluable."
The Flint Hills Job fair, orchestrated by Eagle Communications and the Manhattan Town Center provides an opportunity for prospective employees to put a face to the job opening, rather than just see a want ad on a website or in a newspaper.
"Right now they need to see us as an opportunity," said Malchose. "It's one thing to read about it or hear about it, but it's a whole other level if they can actually see the interest and see what we have to offer, and that we're people too, we're not just an organization and we see them as more than just a paycheck."
The organization of events like the Flint Hills Job Fair takes an immense amount of effort from the host and its participants, and Eagle Communication's Ross Snyder was at the forefront of it all. According to Snyder, it's crucial to businesses to be able get in front of prospective employees as well as customers, and the job fair, in addition to traditional advertising is one of the best ways to do it.
"It's just about getting that awareness," said Snyder. "Being here today will let people be aware of what's available and get jobs filled that need to be filled."
For any prospective employees, a full list of businesses and organizations that participated in the Flint Hills Job Fair and their contact information can be found in the "Job Fair" at the top of the page.
The Flint Hills Job Fair also has plans for an October addition of the event to continually provide support to Riley County and its surrounding areas with employment needs. For businesses to participate in the next job fair, contact Eagle Communications at 785-587-0103 or stop by their office at 301. S. 4th Street in Manhattan.