IowaWORKS event links job seekers and employers

Also, those looking to know more about community resources — and there were many — were eagerly helped by staff from the Marshalltown Area United Way.

Most of the employers on site represented Marshalltown entities – such as Mechdyne Corp., The Hometown Veterinarian, and the Marshalltown Community School District.

However, some employers traveled from Le Mars, Newton, Tama and Williamsburg, said event coordinator Samuel Ibarra of IowaWORKS, the event sponsor.

“We had job seekers waiting before 11 a.m. – the start of the job fair,” he said. “We had a good flow of people coming in … Most want to work locally.”

IowaWORKS sign above their entrance in the Southgate Plaza, 101 Ave. W. Ste. 200, in Marshalltow

The United States Marine Corps was also on hand seeking recruits.

Branden Hassett of Home Base Iowa – an initiative to help veterans relocate to Iowa, worked with Ibarra and others promoting the state and its employers

“We probably have 90 percent of Iowa counties ‘on board’ with Home Base Iowa,” he said. “Overall, we are doing well … We have had some success locally.”

The non-Marshalltown employers represented included Iowa Premium Beef and Meskwaki Casino — both of Tama. They were joined by Magna International, an automotive supplier from the Williamsburg area.

“Wells Enterprises came from Le Mars,” Ibarra said. “It is quite a drive, and they offer a good relocation package.”

That company is a nationally-known maker of ice cream and related novelties.

For several years, employers have expressed concern about the ability to find workers to fill positions in agriculture, health care, insurance/finance and manufacturing.

The state’s unemployment rate in April 2024 was 2.8 percent, lower than its long-term average of 4.51 percent. Marshall County’s rate is 8.1 percent, while Tama County’s is 4.9 percent.

Kendra Sorensen, executive director of the local United Way, said she and colleague Michelle Roseburrough were thrilled to be part of the job fair. The duo was offering information about the county’s many community resources as Sorensen said they had an opportunity to publicize local resources ranging from the Caring Center to House of Compassion to Salvation Army.

“We are a great one-stop shop for community resources offered by our 28-member agencies,” Sorensen said. “We also invited the job seekers to watch and share our Facebook page, because many of our United Way sponsors – such as JBS and Lennox (of Marshalltown) – will let us know if they are hiring or having a job fair too.”

“All of the services our agencies provide can help people when they are in-between jobs,” Roseburrough, who serves as the MAUW’s events and marketing manager, said.

Last year, United Way member agencies provided services to 12,000 Marshall County residents ranging from education to financial stability to health care.

Allison Stewart was part of a contingent from Iowa Valley Community College District who were on hand promoting employment opportunities at its campuses in Ellsworth and Marshalltown.

Stewart and colleagues said they were pleased with traffic.

Sarah Flugge of the Marshalltown Community School District said attendance was much better this year than 2023.

“We had a chance to promote (the) MCSD … hopefully, something will come of it. We have a number of jobs that do not require a college degree,” Flugge said.

Tuesday’s event was originally scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., but event organizers decided to close at 1 p.m. due to the strong threat of rain. The next IowaWORKS job fair will be this fall.