Lane County job fair connects applicants with public agencies downtown

Veterans had the first 30 minutes at downtown Eugene’s Farmers Market Pavilion and Plaza, where more than a dozen public agencies came looking for workers to keep schools, local government offices and service programs staffed. The fair, held at 85 E. 8th Avenue, tried to do more than post openings on a screen. It put hiring managers in the same room with applicants, alongside resume help, application guidance, interviewing tips and free professional headshots.

The 2nd Annual Equity and Community Consortium Job Fair ran Tuesday, April 21, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The City of Eugene says the Equity and Community Consortium brings together 14 governmental and public service agencies in the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area. Lane County describes the group as an information-sharing, leadership and coordination forum for agencies that provide public services across the two-city region.

That mix matters because public-sector jobs tend to be essential and hard to replace. School districts, city offices, transit, county departments and service organizations all depend on steady staffing, and the consortium was built to make those jobs easier to find and easier to apply for. Currier said the event worked both ways, with agencies looking to connect with applicants as much as applicants were trying to connect with agencies.

The fair also reflected a deliberate equity push. Lane County says people with disabilities, women and persons of color are strongly encouraged to consider career opportunities there. The county also says reasonable accommodations are available during the application or selection process by contacting Human Resources. That kind of support can matter as much as the openings themselves, especially for applicants navigating public hiring systems that often require multiple steps before an interview is even scheduled.

Michael Knighton, who said he had attended the fair before, said the previous event had already led to multiple hiring opportunities. His experience underscored why the consortium keeps drawing job seekers back downtown: a single afternoon can put candidates in front of agencies they might otherwise spend weeks trying to reach.

The Eugene fair also fit into a broader local hiring effort. WorkSource Oregon held a separate weeklong career fair in Eugene in late March and early April, another sign that public and workforce agencies are trying to meet applicants face to face as they compete for workers who keep everyday services moving across Lane County.