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East Tremont Hosts Two Job Events

At least 125 people attended a government-sponsored job fair in East Tremont Friday, vying for jobs that range from training positions to executive-level roles in nonprofits and in businesses. Meanwhile, less than a mile away, Amazon was hosting its own recruiting event for jobs in its five facilities in the Bronx.

Despite the overlap, an organizer of the Amazon event said the timing of the events was not about “rivalry.”

“They have an event there, we’re having this event here,” said Daniel Agosto, Director of Workforce Programs at Phipps Neighborhoods, a non-profit that partnered with Amazon.

“Here” being Phipps’ new location in West Farms. “It’s definitely been a successful event, (with) a lot of people coming through,” Agosto said. 

More than one hundred people pre-registered for the Amazon job fair. The mega online retailer currently has five facilities in the Bronx and is opening a new delivery station on Barry Street in Hunts Point on September 28th. Recently, there’s been a wave of support across the country for unionization in large corporations, including Amazon. The Staten Island Amazon Warehouse, JFK8, voted to form the company’s first U.S. labor union last April. 

Though its employment rate has increased since the pandemic, the Bronx historically has the highest unemployment rate in New York City. Compared to the June 2022 unemployment rate of 4.8 percent of New York County, the rate of unemployment in the Bronx was nearly double at 8.4 percent (down from 14.4 percent in June 2021), according to the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics.  

Vocational Instruction Project (VIP) Community Services, a Bronx non-profit that offers health and community services, hosted the larger job fair. The event was sponsored by council and senate members, including Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, who made a short appearance.  

Representatives from 32 non-profit organizations, businesses, educational institutions and governmental services attended the VIP job fair. “We got a wonderful, wonderful turnout,” said Carmen Rivera, Chief Vocational & Community Affairs Officer at VIP Community Services.

Lisette Rosa, Director of Field Recruiting at Preferred Home Care of New York, met with about 45 people at her stand. “We follow up with all of our candidates,” Rosa said, adding people mostly came to her looking for training. 

Ana Mateo, Recruitment Specialist at the Office of the Bronx County District Attorney, was looking for people to fill “anything from cleaning to executive positions.” She has attended the job fair for the past few years, highlighting that “it helps us connect with the community, showing them how everyone can get a chance at employment.” She talked with around twenty people at her stand.

“A lot of people see ‘district attorney’ and back off,” she said with a smile.

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