Aurora Community Turns Out in Droves for Congressman Jason Crow’s Annual Job Fair

Aurora, Colo. – Representatives from various organizations across education, industry, law enforcement, the military and more gathered at the Community College of Aurora (CCA) on Friday for Rep. Jason Crow’s annual job fair.

More than 60 employers participated in the event, with over 1,000 job seekers attending in hopes of finding employment.

In a recorded video message to the attendees, Rep. Crow said, “Every summer, we bring together employers from the district with folks looking to change jobs, seeking new opportunities, or who might be unemployed. We connect these people to help them achieve the type of life they want and to support their families.”

CCA President Dr. Mordecai Brownlee delivered opening remarks, encouraging job seekers to network with multiple employers.

Aligned with CCA’s mission to provide high-quality instruction and prepare students for transfer and employment, CCA worked closely with Congressman Crow to serve the Aurora community.

“At the Community College of Aurora, our mission includes two core outcomes: transfer and employment. By supporting Congressman Jason Crow’s Job Fair, we are fulfilling our mission and actively fostering the advancement of social and economic mobility within our community. This partnership underscores our steadfast commitment to transforming lives through the power of opportunity,” Dr. Brownlee said.

Throughout the day, eager job seekers shared resumes, shook hands, and met with potential employers who matched their skills.

Amid the optimism, attendees also discussed the competitive job market, noting that finding the right employment can be challenging.

Ean Petersen, who attended the fair, hoped to find work in the engineering field. He graduated in 2021 with a degree in Bioengineering from CU Denver. Although he found some companies hiring for engineering positions, many were seeking candidates with more experience.

“Biomedical sounds like a really specific career field, but it’s actually a lot more generalized than other engineering programs,” Petersen said. Fortunately, he remains confident that his degree will allow him to work in other areas of engineering.

Another attendee, Margeaux Kellogg, sought opportunities with a background in healthcare risk and compliance. Kellogg said she has applied for nearly 200 jobs in the past six months. She hoped that meeting recruiters face-to-face would lead to more interviews.

In a short time, she was able to make some connections that she hopes could lead to opportunities.

“I made a good connection with somebody who said, ‘We don’t have the risk department up yet, but keep in touch with me, and hopefully we can get you signed up,’” she said.

Recruiters at the event aimed to fill essential roles within their organizations.

Harper Brown, a Talent Acquisition Specialist for Denver Public Schools (DPS), noted that DPS has hundreds of positions to fill, including high-priority roles like special needs educators and paraprofessionals.

Brown emphasized the importance of these challenging positions to the communities they serve. “We respect what they do in the classroom, and we want to support them by getting the best people in the classroom for our kids.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Colorado’s unemployment rate is currently 3.9%, a 0.7% change from the same time last year. This equates to about 126,000 unemployed people in the state.

In July, Colorado added 3,600 employed people, according to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.

For more information on Colorado’s unemployment figures and resources for job seekers, visit the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.

Learn more about CCA’s Workforce and Professional Development programs by clicking HERE.