Orland Park, IL - U.S. Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL-13) today hosted a Road to Employment Job Fair at the Orland Park Sportsplex to connect job seekers with potential opportunities at more than 60 of the area’s top employers. More than 600 job seekers attended the event, which was held in collaboration with the Village of Orland Park and the Orland Park Chamber of Commerce. Employer booths and job seekers packed the indoor soccer field, while more than 250 individuals took advantage of the resume and interview workshops, led by local employment experts from Keller Center for Corporate Learning of DeVry University and the University of Illinois Extension of Cook County.

           “Jobs and the economy should be everyone’s top priority. Hardworking, highly-skilled individuals from across the Southland are having difficulty finding work because of the national economic downturn and Illinois’ double-digit unemployment rate. Today’s Job Fair affords job seekers the opportunity to meet faceto- face with our community’s best employers, and removes the frustration and guesswork from the online job search,” said Biggert. 

           Some of the employers hosting booths at the fair included Best Buy, Bridgestone Firestone, Comcast Cable, Panduit, and DeVry University, to name a few. Companies promoted a wide range of openings, including positions as administrative assistants, engineers, financial advisors, registered nurses, sales associates, and warehouse loaders.

           “The job fair was a win-win situation. Some of the area's top employers were matched up with some of the area’s best candidates. Both business and the community benefited,” said Orland Park Chamber of Commerce President John Bibeau. 

           Several federal agencies, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, and the Department of Labor, also promoted employment opportunities in the Chicago region. Dozens of job seekers learned the ins-and-outs of applying for federal employment using the website http://usajobs.govat a workshop led by the Office of Personnel Management.

           “Whether lining up an interview, learning new techniques for resume writing, or networking with area employers, attendees at today’s event had a chance to brush up on their job searching skills and get their resumes noticed,” said Biggert. “While the Job Fair offered a new beginning for some, more must be done to put Americans back to work. This week, I will return to Washington and urge my colleagues to prevent the largest tax increase in American history, which would discourage job creation and punish small businesses. Congress must enact policies that create an environment where small businesses can expand and grow.” 

           “The Village of Orland Park is excited to co-sponsor this event with Congresswoman Biggert and the Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce," said Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin. "We're happy to do all that we can to help connect job seekers with potential employers," the Mayor added.

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