Elgin Community College Fall Job Fair Draws More than 400 Guests

Elgin Community College welcomed more than 400 job seekers to its Fall 2025 Job Fair on October 22, 2025. The fair provided an opportunity for students and community members to connect with local employers from a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, health care, business, and more. Opportunities were available for all experience levels and career paths. 

“It's a great experience to visit the job fair because now I have many contacts for different companies that offer opportunities for a job,” said Jesus Diaz, an ESL (English as a Second Language) student. “In my case, I am looking for a business and finance [company] or customer service quality control.” 

Diaz came to the U.S. two years ago from his home country, Venezuela. He lived in Colombia for six years, then returned to the U.S. and began taking ESL classes at ECC. He is now on the job hunt. He has a background in general management and safety in the oil and gas industry. 

Information Systems Technology and Maintenance Technology student Elder Nicholas spoke with a local trucking company at the fair. His advice: “Talk to everyone, you never know what you want to do.”

“Job fairs create powerful connections between local employers and community members. They not only open doors to meaningful careers but also strengthen our local economy and provide opportunities for people to improve their lives through learning and work,” said Dr. Gina De rosier Cook, Dean of Workforce Development and Continuing Education.

The fair was also attended by 13 students from Elgin’s St. Edward Central Catholic High School. The school’s counselor, Mitch Delaney, said the group of students is a mix of teens who plan to attend college after high school and some who want to start directly in the workforce. 

“We use this as a worker opportunity for the kids to maybe find out what they want to do,” Delaney said. “We have a lot of kids who know the general field of study they want to do, but not what they want to do after that.”

Delaney added that seven senior students from St. Edward Central Catholic plan to attend ECC after graduation. 

ECC’s job fairs continue to grow, following last spring’s event, which brought together more than 100 employers and over 350 attendees.

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