More help pours in for Celadon workers
INDIANAPOLIS (Inside INdiana Business) — State and local agencies are continuing to assist former employees of Indianapolis-based Celadon Group Inc. The trucking company’s sudden decision to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and cease all operations has left some 4,000 employees out of work. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the city of Indianapolis, EmployIndy and Ascend Indiana have all offered services to help the affected workers find new jobs.
Ascend Indiana is supporting the effort by helping younger employees who have been on the job for up to three years connect with job or internship opportunities though the Ascend Network. The nonprofit aims says there are currently about 700 positions available from more than 300 employers on the network.
In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, Ascend Vice President of External Relations Kate Broshears said an important part of the response has been to prepare ahead of time for such an occasion when these services are needed.
“Tremendous resources have gone into building the entities and services that are responding to help support Celadon employees in the years before this occurred,” said Broshears. “We really see it now as our ability, from EmployIndy, the city, Ascend, Pete the Planner, DWD and more, to really step in and be able to advertise these services in a concerted way and make sure that Celadon employees are aware that they’re available and to be able to take advantage of those as soon as possible.”
On Monday, the DWD and EmployIndy announced plans to host a virtual job fair to assist Celadon employees. The event, which will take place Thursday at 10:30 a.m. ET, will allow participating employers to showcase hiring opportunities for a variety of positions, including drivers, mechanics, dispatch, customer service and office support.
The employers taking part in the virtual job fair include:
- McFarling Foods (Indianapolis)
- Martin Transportation Systems (Indianapolis)
- Hogan Transports Inc. (Indianapolis)
- DOT Transportation (Indianapolis)
- Venture Logistics (Indianapolis)
- A/T Transportation (Ferdinand)
Individuals interested in participating in the virtual job fair can register by clicking here. The DWD says those who are interested but may have a time conflict should still register as they will receive a link to a recording of the job fair.
EmployIndy will also host a Rapid Response event Friday at the WorkOne Indy office at 4410 N. Shadeland Avenue on the city’s northeast side. The organization says staff will hold information sessions throughout the day on available resources and career services, and will also be available to answer questions regarding job search assistance, job training opportunities, and job placement services.
“The loss of a job is distressing any time of the year but certainly all the more frightening during the holiday season,” said Marie Mackintosh, chief operations officer at EmployIndy. “We hope that the services available at WorkOne Indy provide impacted workers the support and resources they need to make a quick transition to their next job opportunity.”
EmployIndy says the WorkOne staff will also work to ensure all displaced workers are filing for unemployment insurance benefits through the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. The organization says additional events to assist Celadon workers are currently in the planning stages.