Sonoma County job fair targets hospitality workers

Sonoma County job seekers can submit resum? and meet face to face with hospitality company officials at an employment fair Friday in Santa Rosa.

As well, more than 150 laid-off workers in the county will be able to receive retraining scholarships as part of a $350,000 state grant announced Thursday.

Both opportunities are efforts of the county's Job Link program.

Thirteen local employers will take part Friday in Job Link's third annual Hospitality Job Fair. The event will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Job Link offices, 2227 Capricorn Way in Santa Rosa.

The companies are Bear Republic Brewery, Chipotle, Corks Restaurant at Russian River Vineyards, DoubleTree by Hilton, the girl & the fig, Graton Resort & Casino, Hilton Santa Rosa, Panera Bread, Petaluma KOA Campground, The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn, The Lodge at Sonoma Renaissance, Vintners Inn/John Ash & Co. and Wyndham Vacation Resorts.

The available positions include such typical hospitality jobs as cooks, servers, bartenders, front desk staff and housekeepers but also aesthetician, IT engineer and electrical engineer.

Last year's fair drew more than 400 job seekers, said Job Link manager Steven Czegus.

In regard to the state grant announced Thursday, the new funds will add to the $600,000 that Job Link already has allocated since July for retraining laid-off workers.

"The demand for training is very high," Czegus said.

Each qualified worker can receive up to $2,000 in scholarships for outside training programs, he said. The funds, provided to California via the federal Workforce Investment Act, will go to the county's Workforce Investment Board, which oversees Job Link.

Those who want to qualify for such training can contact Job Link, 565-5550.

(You can reach Staff Writer Robert Digitale at 521-5285 or robert.digitale@pressdemocrat.com.)