A push to link 1,000 central Ohioans with new jobs this fall has resulted in the hiring of 1,188 people, its organizers announced yesterday.
More than 3,000 people attended five Hire1000 job fairs sponsored by Columbus, the Central Ohio Workforce Investment Corp. and the Columbus Chamber, Mayor Michael B. Coleman and COWIC President Suzanne Coleman-Tolbert said.
"Columbus' Department of Development provided the resources for us to create a pathway to work for jobseekers across central Ohio," Coleman-Tolbert said.
"The Columbus Recreation and Parks Department opened the doors of neighborhood community centers for each event, the Columbus Chamber reached out to its membership, and our private employers stepped up to hire."
Applicants had the opportunity to talk with 79 potential employers, and 64 of them made hires, said COWIC spokeswoman Brittany Westbrook. Pay ranged from $9.50 to $23 per hour, with positions including phone-bank operators, bank tellers, sales executives and home health-care workers.
"The majority of jobs were permanent with benefits," Westbrook said, "but some were seasonal, too."
Safelite Auto Glass hired more than 100 workers for its two Columbus call centers, Westbrook said.
Malinda Lindimore, the company's contact-center recruiting manager, said the jobs are permanent, pay $12 to $14 per hour, but start out at 25 to 30 hours per week for the first six months. After that, workers are eligible to move to full-time positions as they become open.
Lindimore said she hopes to take part in more Hire1000 events. The company is doubling in size and expects to hire 200 more employees through January and February.
"We had very good quality with our hires," she said. "We had good success with finding the candidates that will fit into our culture at the job expos."
