Central Mass Employment Collaborative and MassHire Unite Local Employers with Talented Job-Seekers from the Disabled Community

(From left to right) Amanda Bartlett, Administrative Assistant, CMEC & South Coast Employment Collaborative, Emily Chakmakian, Employer Liaison, CMEC, Rupali Potnis, Sr. Project Coordinator, CMEC, and Jennifer Anderson, Employer Liaison, CMEC, smile for the camera during their successful all-abilities job fair.

On April 13, Riverside Community Care’s Central Mass Employment Collaborative (CMEC) and the MassHire Worcester Career Center hosted a successful All Abilities job fair at the Seven Hills Foundation in Worcester. The event was open to individuals with cross disabilities and connected employers to job seekers.

Eighty-three job seekers from the disabled community attended the event to network with potential employers, hand out resumes, and take the next step in finding a fulfilling career. Fifteen employers from various industries, including healthcare and food service, were present at the job fair, offering attendees a variety of fields to explore.

“Thank you for an awesome job fair,” said Kristen Carlson, a Chick-Fil-A recruiter present at the event. “It was so great to meet so many wonderful people. We ended up hiring two of the candidates that we met at the job fair. They start next week, and we are thrilled to have them on our team!”

“FedEx Ground believes it is important to give back to the communities we serve and supports organizations that have a positive impact on them, like the Central Mass Employment Collaborative,” said Maria Almeida, Senior HR Business Partner, FedEx Ground. “During the April 13th event, we benefited from having individuals with different backgrounds and abilities coming to our table, where some completed and submitted their job applications.”

Job seekers, as well as employers, made valuable connections and enjoyed this wonderfully uplifting event. Thanks to the WooSox, one lucky attendee won four tickets to an upcoming WooSox game! CMEC and MassHire both look forward to helping more people find rewarding jobs in their communities.

The Central Mass Employment Collaborative, one of the six Riverside Employment Collaboratives, is an initiative of Riverside Community Care, funded by the Department of Developmental Services and the Department of Mental Health and is a conduit between service providers, government agencies, workforce development entities, and employers working towards increasing employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. The program works with employers across Central Massachusetts to connect them with a pool of qualified job candidates with disabilities who are eager, hard-working, talented, and diverse.