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:
10-11 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
Barilla America, Inc.
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
Google
Grainger
Grassroots Campaigns Chicago
Groupon
H&M
Heartland Alliance
Heels and Hardhats Contracting Co
Hilton Worldwide
Howard Brown Health
Hyatt Hotel
i.c.stars
Indiana Tech
John Casablancas: Modeling, Acting
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
Paul Mitchell the School Chicago
Planned Parenthood of Illinois
Renewal Care Partners
ResourceMFG
Riveron Consulting
Robert Bosch LLC
Roosevelt University
Rush University Medical Center
Savor...Chicago at McCormick Place Convention Center
Schafer Condon Carter
Skills for Chicagoland's Future
Smart Resources
Stomp Exterminator
Test Positive Aware Network
The Night Ministry
Thresholds
TransUnion
Trilogy, Inc.
Trunk Club
Uber
United Airlines
Uptake
US Bank
Walgreens
Windy City Limousine
Zurich North America