1,600 flood the Civic Center in search of jobs and educational opportunities

Hundreds swarmed into the Yuma Civic Center for the annual Yuma Community Job and Education Fair Wednesday morning.

With the unemployment rate in the Yuma area at 22 percent as of August, only seven percent of Yuma residents hold a bachelor’s degree, according to the University of Arizona-Yuma.

The University of Arizona-Yuma and Arizona Western College were one of the many educational resources that highlighted the attributes of post-secondary education.

“With education, you can get more job retention, more job opportunities and just a lot more doors open up for you,” said Julia Sanchez, UA Yuma.

“I have been employed with AWC going on my third year and I’ve never seen this amount of people,” said Ciara Dunn with AWC.

“There are so many jobs here in our community and I want everyone to know they don’t have to leave to find a job. We have a lot of openings here and if education is what they need to get the job that they want, they can come to AWC to not only help them [job seekers] to find a program, but we also have career advising to help with resumes and interview skills.”

Job seekers also explained they thought the fair was the perfect place to find work.

“It’s shown me there are certain skills I can offer right up front,” said Michelle, a recent high school graduate who is looking for her first job and eager to learn more.

If you or someone you know missed the Career and Education Fair, employers recommend all job seekers to follow up for future opportunities.