Perry-centered career fair, sponsored by Perry Economic Development Inc. (PEDI) and DMACC Perry, brought together half-a-dozen local employers with a good turnout of job seekers and potential recruits Thursday at the Hotel Pattee.
The fair continues Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon.
Among the local industries were the Dallas County Hospital, Perry Lutheran Homes, Wiese Industries, Percival Scientific, Tyson Fresh Meats and the Progressive Foundry, with DMACC career advisors also on hand to outline the new Future Ready Perry initiative, a collaboration between DMACC, the Perry school system and Perry Economic Development Inc.
The PEDI career fair will be held Thursday, Feb. 18 from 4-6 p.m. and again Saturday, Feb. 20 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Spring Valley Ballroom of the Hotel Pattee in order to provide information on short-term training and opportunities to land high-paying jobs in the Perry area.
Future Ready Perry aims to meet the needs of the tight local labor market, much as Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ Future Ready Iowa initiative operates at the state level.
“Future Ready Perry will be our way of doing that at the local level with state and local support,” said DMACC Perry Director Eddie Diaz. DMACC’s Workforce Training Academy is another opportunity for continuing-education training that leads to higher-paying jobs in the manufacturing, health care and transportation sectors.
Attendees at Saturday’s career fair will be eligible to win pizzas, gas cards and a free night at the Hotel Pattee. Social distancing, reduced capacity and masks procedures will be enforced. For more information, reach out to: choffman@dmacc.edu.
