More than 75 major corporations, small businesses, government agencies and nonprofits are expected for the third annual Windy City Times WERQ! LGBTQ job fair Friday, Sept. 29, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted, Chicago. In 2016, more than 500 people attended the Job Fair.
The event includes two workshops. The first will be at 10 a.m. to discuss transgender hiring and workplace issues. The second will be at noon, on senior hiring issues. Both workshops will be on the second floor of the Center, while the Job Fair is in the third-floor gym. The Center on Halsted computer lab will be open during the job fair for those needing to work on and print out their resumes.
The Job Fair coincides with the launch of the Windy City Times #HireTrans citywide campaign to push all employers to increase their hiring and workplace inclusion efforts for the transgender community. #HireTrans is a visibility campaign that will feature more than 60 trans and gender nonconforming people who were photographed by award-winning filmmaker Andre Perez.
The Job Fair, which is free and open to the public, is hosted by Windy City Times with Center on Halsted, MB Financial Bank, US Bank, Howard Brown Health, Pride Action Tank, Chicago House, Association of Latino/as Motivating Action, Affinity Community Services, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Out & Equal Chicagoland and Chicago Black Gay Men's Caucus.
WORKSHOPS:
10 a.m.-11 a.m.: Trans and GNC in the Workplace, Center on Halsted, Second Floor, Sept. 29: Moderated by Vanessa Sheridan of Center on Halsted, with panelists Lathem Bonem, Trans Works Program Manager at Chicago House; LaSaia Wade, member of Chicago TGNC Collective and the Trans Liberation Collective, and director of Brave Space Alliance; and Denise Bowker, who has worked for Northern Trust for 30 years in the technology area.
Noon-1 p.m.: Building Confidence for Job Searchers Over 50, Center on Halsted, Second Floor, Sept. 29: Moderated by Imani Rupert-Gordon of Affinity Community Services, with panelists Ashley Brazil, Senior Career Specialist in the Employment Program at Chicago House and Social Service Agency, and Darryl Grant, who brings nearly 10 years of experience as a professional recruiter, interviewer, job search coach, and resume advisor in the Chicago area.
Exhibitors in 2017, among others:
— ACLU
— AIDS Foundation of Chicago
— ALMA
— Alight Solutions
— Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
— AON
— Astellas Pharma
— AT&T
— A Wider Bridge
— BD Medical Supply
— Betancourt Realty
— Blue Cross Blue Shield Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
— Blue Plate
— Central States SER
— Charles Schwab
— Chicago Commission on Human Relations
— Chicago House
— Chicago Sky
— Chicago Women in Trades
— Christy Webber Landscapes
— CME Group
— CNA Insurance
— Comcast/Xfinity
— Conagra Brands
— Edelman
— Education Pioneers
— Exelon Corp.
— Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
— Fifth Third Bank
— GameStop
— Gap Inc. and Old Navy
— Glenkirk
— Grainger
— Grassroots Campaigns Chicago
— Groupon
— H&M
— Heartland Alliance
— Hilton Worldwide
— Howard Brown Health
— Hyatt Hotel
— i.c.stars
— Indiana Tech
— The Jellyvision Lab, Inc.
— The John Marshall Law School
— The Kellogg Co.
— KPMG
— Lawrence Hall
— LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois
— Mariano's/Kroger Co.
— Marriott Hotels
— MB Financial Bank
— Morningstar
— The Nature Conservancy
— Navy Pier
— Northern Trust
— Northwestern, Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing
— Pace Suburban Bus Company
— Planned Parenthood of Illinois
— Renewal Care Partners
— Riveron Consulting
— Robert Bosch LLC
— Roosevelt University
— Rush University Medical Center
— Schafer Condon Carter
— Skills for Chicagoland's Future
— Smart Resources
— Stomp Exterminator
— Test Positive Aware Network
— The Night Ministry
— Thresholds
— TransUnion
— Trunk Club
— Uber
— United Airlines
— Uptake
— US Bank
— Walgreens
— Windy City Limousine
— Zurich North America
This is the third WERQ! LGBTQ Job Fair. The first focused primarily on youth experiencing homelessness, and in 2016 there was a special emphasis on youth, trans and seniors. This year's fair is open to all LGBTQ and allies.
Booths at the job fair are $95 for businesses, $75 for nonprofits. Deadline is Sept. 22. Email Tracy Baim for details: editor@windycitymediagroup.com, or call 773-871-7610.
Also see www.facebook.com/LGBTQJobFair.
