Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Katie Marsh

It’s no secret that the job market has changed significantly in recent years. Employers have struggled with a shortage of manpower to meet the demands. In the middle of this, we’ve seen unprecedented measures to recruit. In an effort to address the employment challenges, the Lewisville-Clemmons Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Shallow Ford Foundation and Forsyth Technical Community College’s Small Business Center, has created a unique series of events to connect employers with candidates who have a specific interest in specific industries.

“Career Connections is meant to bring a strong educational component to the table,” said Denise Heidel, the executive director of the Lewisville-Clemmons Chamber of Commerce. “When we began brainstorming this idea, we were adamant that we did not want to create a job fair. Instead, we wanted something more purposeful and strategic because we know that not all industries will attract the same audience.”

To that end, Career Connections is divided into five categories:

• Trade (Sept. 7)
• Education (Sept. 14)
• Hospitality/Retail (Sept. 21)
• Medical/Health (Sept. 28)
• Finance/Insurance (Oct. 5)

“Each program day will feature a variety of panelists who are experts in their industry, but also who represent different facets of the industry,” Heidel said. “For instance, on Trade Day, our panelists represent everyone from commercial and residential construction, HVAC, plumbing and also even property management. Similarly, the other industries have a variety of panelists representing different aspects of their fields. Our panelists are respected industry leaders who can educate job seekers on the opportunities they are interested in.

“Career Connections is for job seekers at any level — whether the soon-to-be or recent high school graduate, the mid-career job seeker looking for new opportunities, or a recent retiree who still wants to work but wants to try something new. We are excited to welcome job seekers at any stage of their career.

“We don’t want to waste anyone’s time. We know job seekers are looking for rewarding and purposeful careers. They want to feel valued and like what they are doing matters. These panelists can show them how that happens. And, of course, we have allowed plenty of time for networking so that job seekers can meet with potential employers in a smaller setting.

“Everyone we’ve talked to is super excited about Career Connections. We feel confident that this will provide a great bridge between local employers and serious candidates.”

Career Connections will be hosted at the Historic Broyhill at 3540 Clemmons Road in Clemmons. This is a free community event for job seekers, and the chamber also has opportunities for vendors and sponsorships. Contact Denise Heidel at Denise@Lewisville-Clemmons.com for more information. 

The primary objectives of Career Connections are to bring awareness of job opportunities in the community, to educate others on specific fields who have a high demand and need for employees and to connect employers with job seekers.

Marzano Capital Group and Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools are event sponsors.