Organizers of a May 18 job fair expect to have dozens of representatives from area companies as well as Oakland County. Hundreds of jobs are available, from entry level, part-time and seasonal, to full-time professional opportunities.

Oakland County, City of Pontiac, OLSHA, Trion Staffing and many others will be conducting onsite interviews and taking job applications.

Support services from such non-profits as the Pontiac Collective Impact, iamPontiac and the Pontiac Promise Zone will be onsite to help Pontiac residents access economic opportunities as well as to childcare options and the expungement process for people rebuilding their lives.

Lisa Washington, Washington Events president and founder, has organized this event for the second consecutive year because her own career started during her days as a teen in a co-op program.

Today, she has experience organizing many events, including job fairs for Oakland County’s Employment Diversity Council (ODEDC). She counts the late Roosevelt Frank Russell, a renowned athlete and civil rights leader as one of her mentors and said this fair is part of his legacy.

“I want it to make sure the greater Pontiac area is able to optimize the opportunity,” she said, adding that she’s emphasizing Pontiac for several reasons, including because “that’s where I’m from.”

The Pontiac Central alumna’s own experience with co-op jobs is one reason this fair aims to recruit teens, she said, but the recruiting event is open to people of all ages. People will get help with resumes, headshots and what she called “soft skills” – understanding how a person’s online activities can influence hiring decisions.

“We’ll be getting fliers to senior center facilities, because there are more older people who want to keep working,” she said.

“Pontiac is special,” she said. “But in many ways, we’re the hole in the donut when it comes to opportunities. We know the challenges and we can overcome them.”

Her bluntness comes from experience, she said – and another part of Frank Russell’s legacy “You can’t tackle what you don’t confront,” she said, adding, “I’m very grateful for city and county and other small business support.”

The 2023 Diversity Works! Career Expo is 1 to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 18 at United Wholesale Mortgage’s sports complex, 867 South Blvd. East in Pontiac, MI. Registration is not required, but those who sign up in advance can win cash prizes and get transportation, a service sponsored by M1 Mobility and the Pontiac Community Foundation, if needed. For details, visit washingtoneventsllc.com/careerexpo.