The Better Skills, Better Jobs Fair is returning to the Greenville Convention Center Oct. 5 to give adult jobseekers and Pitt County high school students a chance to explore the region’s workforce development needs.

The event, which was first held in 2021, will feature representation from more than 100 business and industries and a number of community and educational resources. They’ll be discussing career opportunities and services they offer to prepare individuals for the workplace. 

“The Better Skills, Better Jobs Fair has proven to be an effective means of building awareness of the well-paying jobs and training opportunities available in our community,” said Pitt Community College President Lawrence Rouse. “In each of the two years it’s been held, the fair has given hundreds of jobseekers valuable opportunities to connect with area employers, institutions of higher learning and community resources.”

This fair, which is sponsored by PCC, the John M. Belk Endowment, Greenville ENC Alliance, Pitt County Economic Development, Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce, Inner Banks Media and Koinonia Community Solutions, runs from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The period between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. is reserved for students from public and private Pitt County high schools. Along with job information, they’ll learn about opportunities to work toward a college degree while they are still in high school through programs, like Career & College Promise and the PCC-Pitt County Schools (PCS) Technical Academy. 

The afternoon is for adult jobseekers. Between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., they’ll be able to discuss job openings and services with representatives from companies and community partners, such as PCS, East Carolina University’s Office of Continuing and Professional Education, Greenville Utilities, Tradesformers, North Carolina Coastal Society for Human Resource Management, NCWorks, ECU Health and NCEast Alliance. 

Dr. Dan Mayo, PCC interim Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Services, says Pitt will have representatives at the fair prepared to discuss two-year degrees, diplomas and certificates and short-term workforce development options. 

“Pitt Community College has something for everyone,” he said. “We offer more than 70 programs of study, along with a variety of credit and short-term certificate options to help adult learners gain skills that will help them advance in their current jobs or change careers entirely.” 

Jobseekers planning to attend the fair are asked to register online. They are also encouraged to bring copies of their updated resume with them, because some companies will be conducting on-site job interviews during the event. 

More information on the 2023 Better Skills, Better Jobs Fair, including registration links, is available at pittcc.edu/better-skills-better-jobs-fair/.