Stafford job fair at capacity

Sen. Mark Warner’s office is advising people that the federal job fair being held today at University of Mary Washington’s campus off U.S. 17 in Stafford County is at capacity, and that people who try to go this afternoon may not get in. As Kelly Hannon wrote today on her blog, traffic has been at a standstill on U.S. 17 northbound today as thousands of people flock to the job fair. People were lining up outside at 7 a.m. today, and both of UMW’s parking lots filled up quickly. Walmart allowed people to park in its lot, and Geico decided not to have any workers park at UMW today. Warner spokesman Kevin Hall said that his office will plan another job fair in the region sometime soon to accommodate the people who don’t make it in today.

We received the photo that is running with this post via Twitter. Here is the e-mail Warner’s office sent out late this morning to people who had expressed interest in the event. The office is also advising area radio stations about the crowds:

Thank you for your interest in today’s Federal Job Fair in Fredericksburg hosted by Senator Mark Warner.

The interest and turn-out at today’s event has been tremendous – so tremendous, in fact, that participants are encountering lengthy lines and extensive wait-times at the event site.

We will make every effort to accommodate the individuals who presently are on-site, but it is unlikely that new arrivals will be able to access the Job Fair before its scheduled completion at 4:00 PM today.

We will work with the federal agency representatives to schedule an additional job fair in the area in coming weeks, and we will inform you of the specific details when they become available.

Thank you for your interest in today’s Job Fair.

Signed –

Office of Senator Warner.

By Bill Freehling on March 8th, 2010 12:18 pm

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Tom

What a waste of time. All the agency reps said to ALL applicants was to go check online for positions. Then why the hell go to the Job Fair?!?
christine

i’m still standing in line, there’s at least an hours wait till we walk in the front door…anyone out there actually made it in and think waiting any longer is still a good idea?
Ken Blazek

I have never been to a job fair where I didn’t just meet people from the company and fill out applications online. I don’t know what people expect.
Brian

I arrived around 11:30 after driving an hour and a half (and sitting in traffic) up to Fredericksburg. I stepped out of my car to be greeted by many other people walking back saying they weren’t letting anyone else in. Even though I registered, I couldn’t get in. That wasted a big chunk of my day!
Keith

I crossed over I-95 using Route 3 and saw that Northbound I-95 traffic was at a standstill due to this event. So traffic backed up from Geico, down R.17, and then down I-95 all the way at least to Rt.3. All for a government job. That should tell you how bad the economy really is around Fredericksburg.
Tom

Just a way for Mark Warner and team Obama to say “we care”.

If they really cared there would have been people actually talking to prospective employees or taking resumes. We could have saved taking off from work, travelling over an hour if we knew that all they were doing was directing prople to usajobs.gov.
Rena

If the government really wants to change the unemployment rate from 10% to something more manageable, they should hold these job fairs for the people who really need it–those who are out of work and collecting unemployment checks. Get those people working and off public assistance and then offer it to the general public. Tom, you should be happy you have a job to take off from to look for another. Some of us aren’t as fortunate as you.
bhaas

Unfortunately, for those out of work and/or looking to better themselves, this event was a staged politically driven event. While people were waiting in line this afternoon to be told to fill out an on-line application, Warner was on the floor of the Senate telling his colleagues and the C-Span audience how popular his sponsored event has turned out. If this is how this government plans to solve the unemployment problem they have another think coming. This sounds like it was a complete sham.
esoj32

OMG, filling out an application online!!! How dare they. lol…People need to wake up and realize that this is the 21st century. Today, paper resumes go unrecognized because it’s harder for an employer to search a stack of paper resumes and the person making the hiring decision isn’t the one you will be giving the resume to at the job fair. My advice is to first use the company’s online resume form to post your details. If that’s not available then email a soft copy (No CDs, just email). With an electronic copy on file you reach everybody rather than the few people holding a paper copy of your resume.
SimplyAmazed

Another joke job fair in this area.
CEB

Hey Senator – get a clue. People want jobs not photo ops, not grandstanding and certainly not your expensive, over-the-top health care monstrosity.
TeeBoo

This mess only happens when big government is expanding. Look who was represented there. Government agencies like the IRS was there hiring more waste just to raise our taxes. We need to cut back big government and lower taxes in a time of crisis like we are in.
http://News TM

My wife and I came to our 1st job fair, waited since 0730 in the shade & cold, entered and hastily picked out and waited to speak to 20 reps to have 8 resumes taken and no firm opportunities but referred to websites and we are currently homeless and jobless and both Vets. It could have been organized and operated much better.
http://fhr44@cox.net Fredrick Howard Ramsay

Attention: Senator Warner
I have a program and comprehensive business model to create 5000 sustainable new jobs in New Kent County Virginia.
The employment opportunities that I am referring to will produce six figure JOBS. A job paying $50,000 per year typically results in almost $6,000 in annual federal and state sales and income tax payments. Therefore six figure JOBS will enhance and accelerate the payback of the enormous TAX BILL that the US Congress and US SENANT is about place upon the American Tax Payer. I am a small entrepreneur with a dedicated brother as my partner. We are motivated, qualified and capable of a 24/7 commitment to a successful fruition our project. What we need is a courageous and visionary politician to have the intestinal fortitude to provide the backbone absent of lip service and help us bring this project on line. QUOTE “ We must be As Virginia’s new Governor, the Honorable Mr. McDonnell, has stated in his State-of-the-Commonwealth address to the Virginia State Legislature; “When a major business is considering a move to Virginia, we must be able to meet the executives at the airport, drive them to a site ready for their project and show them that the only thing missing is them” . Would this not be a wonderful Bi-Partisan triumph for the Commonwealth, A Republican Governor and a Democratic Senator bringing about the opportunity to bring into existence and produce by a true course of action 5000 new JOBS to the Commonwealth?
I await your reply, as I remain;
Respectfully,
Fredrick Howard Ramsay

QUOTE “ We must be As Virginia’s new Governor, the Honorable Mr. McDonnell, has stated in his State-of-the-Commonwealth address to the Virginia State Legislature; “When a major business is considering a move to Virginia, we must be able to meet the executives at the airport, drive them to a site ready for their project and show them that the only thing missing is them” .
bhaas

Bill,

Posts 15, 16, and 17???? What is that all about?? Has your site been hacked by an auto-reply site?
Bill Freehling

I just deleted them. Our new system makes commenting a lot easier (don’t need a Fredericksburg.com ID). In think in general that’s a good thing because it makes it easier to have a free-flow of ideas, but some people will take advantage of it to promote their own sites and businesses. I’ll just delete those comments.

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