In a remarkable milestone, the ABC13 weekly Who’s Hiring job fair is celebrating its two-year anniversary. What began as a necessary response to the early challenges of the pandemic has transformed into a vital resource for countless Houstonians in search of employment.
Michelle Castrow, Strategic Planning Manager for the Gulf Coast Workforce Board and Workforce Solutions, has served as the organization’s spokesperson since the pandemic began. Reflecting on the journey, she explained how the initiative was born out of the sudden economic shutdown, which left many without work and closed all Workforce Solutions career offices.
The virtual job fair emerged as a creative solution to these unprecedented challenges. ABC13 reporter Nick Natario recalled how the collaboration started, noting that after connecting with Castrow during a rodeo story, he reached out with a simple question: “What can we do to help? There’s nowhere people can go. No in-person job fairs, and businesses are shut down.”
What was initially intended as a short-term response quickly evolved into a weekly event, as the need for employment opportunities persisted. “All of this was born out of necessity,” Castrow shared, highlighting the program’s success in connecting employers with job seekers and helping people get back to work.
Over time, the initiative has grown beyond job placement, focusing on empowering job seekers with the knowledge and resources needed for career advancement and access to higher-paying roles. Natario emphasized the shared mission between journalism and Workforce Solutions, with both striving to uplift communities by guiding individuals toward better futures.
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