With $30 million committed for its long-awaited water project, the City of Benton Harbor needs to get the right people into the right places, to do the work.

That’s the goal of the City of Benton Harbor’s Job Fair, which runs from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 24, at Benton Harbor City Hall.

Many of the available jobs will coincide with the City’s project of replacing its leaded water service lines by April, 2023.

City personnel will join their Berrien County and state counterparts in taking applications and resumes from those attending, at wages ranging from $10 to $35 per hour.

Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad says applicants should show up with their best foot forward, and be ready to be hired on the spot.

Full news release:

With $30 million committed for its long-awaited water project, the City of Benton Harbor is ready for its next step – getting the right people into the right places, to do the work.

That’s the goal of the City of Benton Harbor’s Job Fair, which runs from 3 to 6 p.m.,
Thursday, Feb. 24 at Benton Harbor City Hall, 200 E. Wall St., Benton Harbor, in the Lula
Lee Commission Chambers.

Many of the available jobs will coincide with the City’s project of replacing its leaded water
service lines by April, 2023, according to Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad, and City Commissioner Ron Singleton, co-chair of its Personnel and Finance Committee.
Muhammad advises applicants to “show up with your best foot forward, and be ready to be
hired on the spot.”

“In a highly dense job market, where employers are looking for workers, starting with the
State of Michigan’s contractors, and local business, the City wanted to do our part – to
connect residents directly to employers, to help build our community,” Muhammad said.
“It’s a perfect marriage for a community that has historically starved for jobs and
employment.”

The City expects to accomplish its goal with a mixture of state and federal funds. The latest
major step came last month, when City Commissioners hired five contractors to handle the
work, and they’ll need residents to fill the various jobs needed to keep the project moving,
Singleton said.

“I see it as an opportunity to get this community involved in rebuilding itself,” Singleton
said. “We want to see our citizens involved in some of the work, so I believe it’s a win-win
opportunity to get the infrastructure fixed, and also get some local people employed. We
feel the timing is right.”

City personnel will join their Berrien County and state counterparts in taking applications
and resumes from those attending, at wages ranging from $10 to $35 per hour.

Participants will be able to meet with major employers, such as Abonmarche, Berrien County Health Department, BEST Early, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and Spectrum Health Lakeland.

Thursday’s fair marks the first time that the city has organized and run such an event.

Muhammad said. “We’ve always worked with third parties, but this time, we wanted to bell
the cat, so to speak, ourselves – and again, be that direct connect, where residents know
where City Hall is, as well as businesses and contractors, and we bring them all together,
right there.”

The City also looks forward to seeing a strong presence from administrative, healthcare,
restaurant and retail employers. Many are struggling to fill positions and staff their
operations properly, which should enable residents to step into a job right away, Singleton
said.

“Hopefully, this will grow into a situation where, any time there’s any type of employment
going on, we can say, ‘Hey, here’s some people looking for work,’” he said.

Available jobs range from administrative support, to contracting, financial, landscaping,
marketing and media jobs, as well as agencies looking to fill specific needs – such as the
City, which is searching for a new Deputy Clerk, Finance Director, and summer parks and
recreation workers.

“If you go up and down the street, there’s ‘Help Wanted’ signs all over – employers are
having a rough time finding employees,” Singleton said. ““Before they leave, if they’re
looking for a job, they should be able to be in the running.”

For further information, contact the City at (269) 927-8471.