ABC13's virtual job fair anniversary: Who's Hiring events continue to help people connect with employers, programs after 3 years

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- When the pandemic hit, ABC13 launched a weekly job fair, which, three years later, continues to help people find work.

Pipefitting is a career choice Juan Tovar didn't think was an option until he came across ABC13's social media page.

"I ended up finding a post on ABC13 about the pre-apprenticeship program, and I figured that was exactly what I needed," Tovar recalled.

Eight months later, Tovar has gone through a three-week pre-apprenticeship program.

He's now applied to join a pipefitters apprenticeship program.

In weeks, he could be on his way to making money while learning a new career.

"I didn't know where I was going to go," Tovar recalled. "I was looking at options. This was one of them. I went for it."

It's a success story our ABC13 Who's Hiring Job Fair with Workforce Solutions has brought to hundreds of people in southeast Texas over the past three years.

"I thought it was a one-time thing," Workforce Solutions spokesperson Michelle Castrow recalled. "Then, we went for a month or so, and I thought, 'OK, that's good. It means we're doing something right.' I had no dreams three years later we'd still be doing this."

Each Thursday at 10 a.m., ABC13 features several immediate-hire jobs. We also have guests from various careers, colleges, and programs. You can watch on our website or wherever you stream ABC13.

"We are still getting 500 new job orders every day," Castrow explained. "Employers have a need. Our role in this is to make sure our people understand what's available right now to understand the jobs that are going to pay well going into the future."

One of those in-demand jobs is a pipefitter, a career you can get into through a pre-apprenticeship program as Tovar took.

"They tend to have higher scores on the aptitude test, and they are much better prepared with exactly what they're getting into with this five-year apprenticeship," Pipefitters Local 211 Education Administrator Candyce Castillo said.

It's an earn-while-you-learn job that Tovar is hoping to start soon.

"I thought it was too good to be true, but I asked, and I called, and it was exactly what they mentioned, and it's perfect," Tovar said.

You can view the jobs in our ABC13 Who's Hiring Job Fair and look for the "As seen on ABC13" section, or also call the ABC13 hotline powered by Workforce Solutions at 713-243-6663.

For updates on employment, hiring and free job fairs, follow Nick Natario on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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