More than 40 representatives from businesses, social service organizations and municipalities - seeking full-time or part-time employees or interns in this very challenging job market  - will be part of the Gateway Community College (GCC) Career and Networking Fair. The fair will be held on April 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the Fairway. About 500 GCC students and alumni are expected to attend.

“The Career Fair on April 3rd is open to all Gateway students and alumni,” said Kellie Byrd Danso, M.Ed., NCC, director of Gateway Community College’s Career Services and Veterans Affairs.  “Because of the tough economy, we made a conscious choice to invite very diverse companies that are interested in hiring our students. It is a Career and Networking Fair because we also want students who were not looking for full time careers yet to be able to apply for seasonal jobs or internships. Most importantly we want them to begin making professional connections.”

The employers attending are seeking full or part-time workers and, in some cases, interns to work in fields including health care, teaching, banking, engineering, customer service, home care, software development and food service. Companies planning to attend include: AT&T, Verizon Wireless, FedEx Ground, Apple Tree Children’s Center, Avon Products Inc., Chabasso Bakery,  Easter Seals-Goodwill Industries,  Primerica Financial Services, the Village for Families and Children Inc., Yale University, LULAC Head Start Inc., the New Haven YMCA Youth Center, Masonicare, Consumers Petroleum and the town of Wallingford.

In addition, Career Services is partnering with the GCC Nursing department and nine colleges will be in attendance to recruit nursing students to their BSN programs, Byrd Danso said.

Some of the companies attending have a variety of positions available such as Apple Rehab, which is seeking registered nurses, certified nursing assistants, dietary and culinary specialists; PROFLOW, a supplier of processing equipment to the pulp and paper industries, whose open positions include engineers, project managers and welders, and Source Medical, which is seeking application support specialists, a software trainer and a software developer. The event is just one of many programs and services offered by GCC’s Career Services.  Byrd Danso said students have a great deal to gain by attending the fair.