Philadelphia’s 17th Annual MLK Day of Service, Monday January 16, will feature a first-ever on-site and Internet-based virtual job fair in an effort to empower Philadelphia residents economically. Drexel University is leading the Freedom Rings Partnership in hosting a digital job fair at the same location as the onsite job fair at Girard College, located at 21st Street and Girard Avenue, which is already capped at 600 attendees.
Drexel volunteers will set up a virtual job fair, with computer and Internet access– in the Library building, immediately adjacent to Founders Hall at Girard College, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. An additional virtual job fair site will be held at the People’s Emergency Center, 3939 Warren Street, from 9 a.m. to 11a.m.
The virtual job fair with nearly 20 employers will be led by staff from Drexel’sCollege of Engineering. Drexel students will also assist Philadelphia residents at the virtual job fair in many capacities. Residents will be able to create an email address, access an online resume builder, and search for jobs on the websites of the employers participating in the on-site job fair.
Launched at last year’s MLK Day of Service, Freedom Rings Partnership recently rebranded to become KEYSPOT Powered by Freedom Rings Partnership, a citywide initiative to bring Internet access, training, and technology to all Philadelphia communities. KEYSPOT is a citywide collaboration of civic, community, and nonprofit organizations including Drexel University, Urban Affairs Coalition, and the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Innovation and Technology. More than 41 percent of Philadelphians are without Internet or computer access, impeding access to job opportunities, health care and education information, and government and social services. The Freedom Rings Partnership will establish 77 public computer centers – or KEYSPOTS – citywide to address this need.
The Freedom Rings Partnership is funded by a two-year grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program under the Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.