Job Expo opens up world of possibilities for job seekers
Plenty of friendly faces from close to 50 local companies and organizations greeted individuals seeking jobs during the 2025 Holmes County Job Expo, which took place at Harvest Ridge in the expo center on April 29.
The 2025 Holmes County Job Expo took place at Harvest Ridge in the expo center on April 29 from noon to 3 p.m., bringing together nearly four dozen local companies and organizations seeking employees and connecting them with individuals interested in finding gainful employment.
Throughout the expo center, interested parties were busy chatting and filling out employment papers, and if it didn’t mean finding a job at this very moment, it did pave the way for some inroads for those seeking employment.
The Holmes County OhioMeansJobs Center hosted the event, and Lisa Vansickle, OhioMeansJobs Holmes County program manager, said the event served a great purpose as businesses and organizations continue to have need to fill a variety of roles in their respective organizations.
“We were very excited to be able to host 45 vendors,” Vansickle said. “There’s a lot of really great positions out there on the market right now, and the biggest challenge for employers is finding good people to fill those positions.”
Bringing together so many businesses and organizations under one roof was something OhioMeansJobs has done many times over the years.
Vansickle said there was a fairly steady flow of job seekers coming into the expo center to explore their options — options each individual may not have known were available to them.
Stephanie Schwab, life enrichment director for Walnut Hills, Greencroft Communities, said they have many roles to fill: nursing, certified nursing assistant, maintenance, laundry and housekeeping duties.
“Right now retention is one of our biggest issues,” Schwab said. “As a caregiving facility, someone needs to really have a calling for this type of work. Long-term care isn’t easy, but it is very gratifying.”
She said being under one roof where visitors could get a better sense of what is available on the market in terms of employment is an added plus because it helps build a greater sense of community.
Haley Wilson, HR administrator for Robin Industries, said like many companies, they were there hoping to fill multiple roles within their company.
“Hiring in today’s world is definitely challenging,” Wilson said. “These types of events are very important because it does get our name out there into the world of people seeking employment. I think it’s important to let people know what type of work we do and what kinds of employment opportunities are out there for them.”
Wilson said the bulk of what they were seeking were manufacturing and press operators, and like many manufacturing companies, they are looking for many people to fill necessary roles.
She said even when they are finding employees, the turnover rate remains significantly high.
Heath Cline of Ohio Taxidermy Supply has been to several of these major job expo events over the past years.
He said they have experienced success before, and the hope was that during a very busy time, they could find someone who fits in with what they do.
“We’re looking for every position, from office personnel to making the manikins,” Cline said. “These types of events are very good, even if you pick up just one or two employees, because everyone here has to start filling their needs somewhere, and when you bring this many businesses together, it is attractive to those seeking jobs, especially when they don’t know what they want.”
He said bringing in the high school students from East and West Holmes high schools is especially important because those are the workers and leaders of the next generation. Cline said he knows many employers who have said hardworking teens right out of high school often are the most ambitious and best workers out there on the market because they are eager to learn.
One unique type of job opening is that of working for the Ohio State Highway Patrol out of Wooster.
Lt. Cristian Perrin said while the OSHP presents a rare set of challenges, it can be a very fulfilling job for those individuals who are determined to work hard and make a difference in their community.
“We stake our reputation on getting the best and the brightest,” Perrin said. “It’s a very rewarding career, and it invites those who accept the challenge to do something bigger than you that impacts your community.”
With both area high schools allowing students to get out of school to attend the event, it provided an even greater number of job seekers.
Whether in school, fresh out of school, having graduated college or more experienced people simply seeking something new, Vansickle said these types of job expos continue to open doors and make connections that are important to the community.
She said whether someone is 18 or 50, being able to walk around and connect with a variety of employers who are sharing different job opportunities and roles is an eye-opening experience that makes the expo worthwhile and successful.