SANTA ROSA — Feedback from companies which attended a recent job fair hosted by Empire College serves as further indication that the local job market is on the upswing, said Phil Vo, Empire’s career development manager.
“We are seeing more full-time vs. part-time job openings and salaries are increasing,” Mr. Vo added.
Twenty-eight companies and 125 Empire College alumni participated in the event in early August. All of the employers surveyed indicated they would be interested in attending another fair and half of them requested that fairs be held more frequently.
“Empire is doing a good job of partnering with local businesses and providing training their students need to obtain jobs in their respective fields,” said Soni Lampert, CEO of KLH Consulting, Inc., who attended the event.
Alumni who attended the job fair not only made connections and scheduled interviews, but two alumni also landed jobs in their field within two weeks of the event, according to Sherie Hurd, executive vice president of marketing and operations.
Founded in 1961, Empire is an accredited college offering six specialized associate degree programs, as well as 20 career training programs in legal and medical office careers, office administration, tourism and hospitality, computerized accounting and bookkeeping, and information technology. According to Ms. Hurd, alumni of Empire College School of Law make up about 25 percent of the Sonoma County Bar.
For the past two years, Empire College has been recognized on President Obama’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, a national award recognizing colleges that inspire lifelong civic engagement among their students and achieve meaningful, measurable outcomes in the communities they serve.