DARBOY, WI (WTAQ) – Many of the 600-plus Appleton Coated workers have a chance Tuesday afternoon to find their next job.
Bay Area Workforce Development is holding a job fair in Darboy that is specifically for the employees of the recently sold paper company.
Executive Director Jim Golembeski says roughly 50 employers will be on hand.
“Get in front of people, ask about what kind of jobs are available, be able to talk about what kind of skills they have, and really interact with one-on-one with those companies.”
For the job fair, Golembeski says they selected employers who offer similar pay and benefits to Appleton Coated.
Despite operations coming to a close at both Appleton Coated and U.S. Paper Converters, Golembeski says there are comparable jobs to be had at places like Little Rapids Corporation, Georgia Pacific, Green Bay Packaging, Great Northern Corporation, and International Paper.
“There’s a lot of companies that are expanding. They are obviously experiencing a high rate of retirement from the baby boom generation and are looking for people.”
In addition to those companies, Golembeski says there will be other employers at the event.
“Other sectors in manufacturing, food packaging companies also looking to hire, and then some higher-end manufacturing.”
Golembeski says his agency has been working with many of the affected workers in recent weeks, helping prepare many of the senior workforce for a job search process they haven’t dealt with in quite some time.
“We’ve been working with them on resumes, how to approach an employer, what kind of things are out there, what questions to ask.”
In addition to the job fair, Golembeski says Bay Area Workforce Development will continue connecting workers with career specialists, as needed.
He notes the agency also plans to help the 50-plus U.S. Paper Converters employees who are affected by their anticipated closure near year’s end.
