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Workforce Partnership is putting on layoff-specific job fairs to target employees impacted by layoffs at the General Motors Fairfax plant and any other company laying off workers in the Kansas City area.
John Gravely is one of the nearly 1700 employees impacted by layoffs at the GM Fairfax plant while it retools for the Chevrolet Bolt EV.
“In April, I’ll have 40 years there,” Gravely said.
The layoffs are happening in phases and started in November.
Gravely says he’ll be back temporarily in May.
“Up until then, I’ve got to do unemployment, so I’ve got to job search,’” Gravely said. “Over 40 years, I’ve been laid off many times. This is just the first time I’ve had to look for work.”
He says that’s due to changes in Kansas’ unemployment and what the union, UAW Local 31, negotiates.
“This is my first time really in it since ’85 that I’ve really had to look for a job,” Gravely said.
That’s why he visited the job fair at the Wyandotte County Workforce Center on Thursday.
“Especially around the Christmas season, a lot of people losing jobs, it causes stress on families and so forth, and we want the community to know that we’re here for them,” said Nancy McNealey, the Workforce Services Supervisor for the Kansas Department of Commerce.
McNealey helped organize the layoff-specific job fairs and says the ripple effect goes beyond General Motors.
“It’s several hundred people that have been affected over the last probably 30 days, and probably another four, five hundred that will be affected in the next 60 days,” McNealey said. “We wanted to get a head start and try to help people out as soon as possible.”
The second job fair will be on December 19 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 626 Minnesota Avenue.
AES Resources, the local staffing agency Sonja Kudulis, the company’s Business Development Executive, works for, will be at both of the layoff-specific job fairs.
“A lot of these people will have the experience we’re looking for in the roles we hope to fill,” Kudulis said.
She says even as an employer, it’s still not exciting to watch layoffs happen.
“Gosh, it’s so hard,” Kudulis said. “If I can help them, it’s one of the best feelings around, it’s kind of one of the worst, so it has its highs and lows.”
Imagine how Gravely feels.
“Scared to death,” he said while laughing.
And that’s someone with seniority talking.
“I’m getting ready to turn 60, I have 40 years, and I’m looking for jobs,” Gravely said. “There’s a lot of kids getting laid off from where I’m at that are going to be looking for permanent jobs.”
Still, his day was full of firsts.
“I came to the job place today to make my very first resume ever,” Gravely said.
In his case, it pays to be curious. He encourages his fellow workers to visit the next job fair, and he’s staying as optimistic as he can.
“I think there’s a lot of opportunities, I hope a lot of people that come here today do get a job,” Gravely said.
Click here to learn more about the employers scheduled to be at the next job fair.
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