Rangel Career Fair Draws Two Thousand Job Seekers

NEW YORK, NY - Well over two thousand job seekers attended the Rangel Career Fair, hosted by Congressman Charles Rangel, on November 14, 2011 at the City College of New York (CCNY), from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Rangel Career Fair was part of Congressman Rangel's continued effort to put his Manhattan Congressional District back to work.  

 "I am very pleased to see so many job seekers embrace this opportunity to meet with potential employers. It shows how much people in our District, just like all across America, need and want jobs right now," said Rangel in his opening remarks. "I thank President Lisa Coico, and all the staff at CCNY for providing the space for such a crucial event for people in our community." The Rangel Career Fair was a remarkable success as hundreds of people were lined up around the block at all times waiting to have their chance to meet with nearly 90 employers.  Job seekers began lining up as early as 6 a.m.  As envisioned by Rangel, the event drew a diverse crowd from recent graduates, senior citizens, veterans and his constituents of all backgrounds.   President of the City College of New York, Dr. Lisa Coico, praised Rangel for not being afraid to, "stand up for what's right: justice, equality, jobs, economic prosperity for all, no matter where you started from, no matter where you come from, no matter where you are." Rangel was also joined by Councilman Robert Jackson, Councilwoman Inez Dickens and New York City Comptroller John C. Liu, and Assemblyman Robert Rodriguez. 

Assemblyman Rodriguez thanked Rangel for "fighting day in and day out to get the Jobs Bill passed, and to make sure there are more opportunities for folks in East Harlem, Central Harlem, all of Manhattan to get jobs."

 "I am grateful to be joined by these great leaders in our community today, and even more grateful to have them fighting alongside me to get our community back to work," said Rangel.  "Today's Fair not only provided attendees with the opportunities to network with employers ready to hire, but to gain practical skills to advance their career." 

For those that attended without resumes, representatives from the Metropolitan College of New York (MCNY) United States Department Of Labor, New York Department of Aging, Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow, STRIVE, New York State Department of Labor, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Workforce 1/Upper Manhattan Career Center all assisted in helping them create a resume and develop many important job readiness skills in the Career Readiness Room.

Reps from the U.S. Department of Labor and New York State Department of Labor were also available in the Wi-Fi Room to provide assistance on using the internet for job searches and guidance on applying for federal and state jobs, as well as services that matched a job seeker's skills to a potential career.   

Also on site was the New York State Comptroller's Office of Thomas DaNapoli, to help job seekers possibly claim some of the State's $10 Billion dollars of unclaimed funds. One out of six participants who checked was able to locate some money they were entitled to.  

 "Whether you are looking to improve your job qualifications, explore a different profession, find a new career or hire an employee, we are here to help," said Rangel. "Today is a true testament of our community's resourcefulness and determination to get people back to work.  I'd like to salute everyone today for coming here, and keeping your hopes alive." The Rangel Career Fair provided networking opportunities for job seekers and connected them to employers who had jobs available.  Job seekers were able to leave with many job leads and contacts, with some already setting up interviews with potential employers.  Employers who attended were equally satisfied with the large number of qualified people who attended the event and the excellence in which the event was conducted. Please click HERE to see more photos of the Rangel Career Fair. The following is a list of companies/organizations that participated: 1. AARP WorkSearch2. AFLAC3. AHRC - New York City4. AMC Entertainment Inc.5. American Airlines6. ARAMARK CitiField7. AutoZone, Inc.8. British Airways9. Bronxwood Home Care10. Bryan Cave LLP11. Candela Systems Corporation12. Capital One Bank13. Carver Bank14. CBS Corporate15. CINTAS Corporation16. Citi Group17. City College of New York18. Civilian Complaint Review Board19. Columbia University20. Combined Insurance Company21. Community Healthcare Network22. Concerned Home Managers for the Elderly Inc. 23. Council for Airport Opportunity, Inc. (CAO)24. Delta Air Lines25. Department of Homeland Security: Secret Service26. New York Department of Labor27. U.S. Department of Labor28. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)29. Dunli Group USA, Inc.30. Empire City Casino31. Estee Lauder Companies, Inc.32. Federal Air Marshal Service33. FedEX Express34. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)35. Fortune Society36. Green Mountain Energy37. Health Plus38. Harlem Hospital Center39. Hertz Corporation40. HSBC Bank USA41. Independence Residences Inc.42. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.43. Macy's, Inc.44. Madison Square Garden45. Mckissack & Mckissack46. Metropolitan College of New York (MCNY)47. Metro Transit Authority (MTA) - NYC Transit48. My Image Studios49. National Grid50. New Era Employment Services51. New York City Board of Elections52. New York City Department of Aging53. The New York Foundling54. New York Life Insurance Company55. New York Police Department (NYPD)56. New York Public Library57. New York School of Interior Design58. New York State Department of Comptroller59. New York State Department of Labor60. New York State Office of Mental Health61. New York State Police62. NewsCorp63. Nontraditional Employment for Women64. Office of the State Comptroller65. Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow (OBT)66. Peace Corps67. Per Scholas68. Primerica69. Port Authority of NY & NJ70. Rapid Realty71. Reliable Community Care72. Rubenstein Associates, Inc.73. SiriusXM Satellite Radio74. State Farm Insurance75. STRIVE76. Tiffany & Co.77. Time Warner Cable78. Transportation Security Administration (TSA)79. Toys R Us80. U.S. Customs and Border Protection81. U.S. Department of Labor82. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs83. U.S. Office of Personnel Management84. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission85. U.S. Park Police86. U.S. Postal Services87. Vamoose Bus88. Walmart89. Workforce 1/Upper Manhattan Career Center