Hundreds with disabilities get face time with employers at job fair

More than 40 companies and organizations sought employees on Thursday, for the first annual Hire Abilities Job Fair. The event hosted by the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) and the Pikes Peak Workforce Center (PPWFC), allowed about 300 people to have face time with Colorado Springs employers.

The event was timely, on the heels of new labor statistics showing an employment decline.

In the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Jobs Report released in early October, the employment-to-population ratio for working-age people with disabilities decreased from 26.9 percent in September 2014 to 25.7 percent in September 2015 (down 4.5 percent; 1.2 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the employment-to-population ratio slightly decreased from 76.2 percent in September 2014 to 75.8 percent in September 2015 (down 0.6 percent; 0.4 percentage points).

“We know through the employment process often times individuals with disabilities get overlooked. This is an opportunity for them to spend a little more time and get through the process with a little more care,” explained James Proby, Team Leader of the Business Relations Group for the Pikes Peak Workforce Center.

Organizers say they plan to host the event again in the future.