As one of the city’s largest non-government employers, Temple is committed to helping community members prepare for and find opportunities in the regional workforce. Last week, the university hosted employment representatives from Central Parking System to help connect them with job applicants from North Philadelphia and within the Temple student body.

Hosted by the offices of Human Resources and Community Relations, the mini job fair was held in the Entertainment and Community Education Center. More than 60 job seekers turned out to pursue positions with Central Parking.

“Temple sees introducing career opportunities to our neighbors as part of our role as a North Philadelphia institution,” said Beverly Coleman, assistant vice president for community relations and economic development.

Central Parking System is a national leader in professional parking management, with offices in every major metropolitan area in the United States. On an icy Philadelphia day, the company met with potential candidates in the Office of Community Relations, seeking to fill roughly 130 positions at its facilities at local garages, the Philadelphia sports complex and PPL Park. According to Central Parking representative Ann-Marie Brown, the firm identified at least 24 viable candidates for positions such as customer service representative, valet parker, cashier and flagger.

“Considering the bad weather we had, we’re very pleased with how the event turned out,” said Brown, who manages recruitment for Philadelphia sports complex facilities. “We’d love to work with Temple again.”

The university works year-round in a number of ways to bring employment opportunities to Temple’s students and its neighbors. The Community Outreach and Hiring Initiative partners with area churches and community groups to identify qualified candidates for positions both at Temple and around the city.

Additionally, the Office of Human Resources offers personal career coaching sessions as well as job readiness workshops to strengthen participants’ proficiency in areas such as resume writing, interviewing and clerical skills. Participants can put their skills to the test at the annual Neighbors Job Fair, which Temple holds each year specifically for North Philadelphia residents.

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Elizabeth DiPardo