One of the businesses looking for workers is Elkhart-based Andre Corporation – a company that makes specialty washers for the heavy truck and automotive industry. The company recently added a third shift to keep up with demand.
“We've added about 10 positions in the last couple months, we'll probably add another half a dozen before the end of the year,” said Human Resources manager Greg Lucchese.
Steel Warehouse, Teacher's Credit Union, the small consulting firm Praxis Strategies and one of the area's largest employers – Notre Dame – are also hiring.
The jobs applicants were vying for at the fair were a mix of new positions and replacements for existing jobs. Jimmy Johns, for example, is hiring 25 people for six different stores – everything from sandwich makers, to delivery drivers and managers – to replace the college students who went back to school.
”Maybe a quarter of the positions we have out there are new positions but we have a lot of internal movement within the University which creates a lot of opportunity for people to come in and fill replacement jobs too,” said Notre Dame recruiter Erin Putt.
“We have both new and replacement positions,” added Adrienne Szymanski, a human resources employee at Steel Warehouse. “Typically with Steel Warehouse we have a lot of employees that have been with us for 40 plus years. We've had them since they were 18 years old and they're starting to retire.”
Several companies told WSBT unrest in both Washington and the stock market isn't keeping them from growing.
“Our ownership is very committed to growth. The whole world took a dive in 2009. We weathered that, we've grown from it,” said Lucchese.
Second district Congressman Joe Donnelly’s office organized the second annual IU South Bend job fair. He told WSBT in spite of the partisan gridlock in Washington, his job is to try to provide stability and confidence by bringing jobs here.
More than 600 people attended Tuesday's fair.
