Jobless in housing industry to get help at Job Expo

The number of workers out of a job due to the cooling housing market prompted Nevada JobConnect to host "Beyond the Housing Slowdown Job Expo."

The job fair is tailored for contractors, mortgage brokers, real-estate agents, and others from the industry. Employers will be on site as well.

"The retail sector is hiring," says Kelly Karch, northern region chief for Employment Security Division, Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. As is warehousing.

At the expo, employment sector agencies such as JOIN and Nevada State Career Enhancement Program will be on hand to help jobless workers learn how to file for unemployment benefits and find retraining.

When looking for a new job, says Karch, people need to look beyond job titles to assess job duties.

"They need to think about those skill sets," he says.

For instance, construction workers are physically fit and able to bend and lift skills transferable to warehouse work. Real estate agents can present, prepare documents, and negotiate. Those skills are needed in auto sales. And mortgage brokers are skilled at customer service, math, and explaining complexities.

"Our state's interesting because of the white- hot economy of past years," says Karch.

State figures show that in July 2006, construction employment stood at 146,000; a year later it's at 142,700. That's 3,800 workers no longer in the industry.

Real estate, however, shows a gain from July 2006, with 26,900 working the industry, to 27,200 this year.

But what about those who are determined to hold out for a job in their same industry?

The housing sector will recover, says Karch, because, "People love the West."

The expo is from 1-4 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Nevada JobConnect office in Sparks, located at 1675 East Prater Way, Suite 103. It's free.

For information, contact Kathie Holbrook at Nevada JobConnect, 284-7562.