FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Many potential employees came to the Port Everglades Career Fair & Expo to find a hopeful future.
Dozens of companies at the event greeted employees with smiles, but none were more popular than airline companies.
“We have got so much stuff today for you to check out, when did you leave Spirit [Airlines]?” said a recruiter to a former Spirit Airlines employees.
Many potential employees attended the Port Everglades Career Fair & Expo in search of a hopeful future.
Dozens of companies at the event greeted employees with smiles, but none were more popular than airline companies.
“We have got so much stuff today for you to check out. When did you leave Spirit [Airlines]?” said a recruiter to a former Spirit Airlines employee.
After Spirit Airlines’ closure, thousands of former workers were left jobless. Weeks later, many seasoned former Spirit employees are on the search for a new job.
“I was getting ready to have my 20th anniversary just a few months out,” said Douglas Bruce, who worked for Spirit Airlines for 20 years.
“I love the job, I love meeting people, knowing where they come from, where they’re going. And I’m just very lost right now,” said Charmaine Bellefeuil, an employee with the airline for 24 years.
Dozens of employees like Bruce and Bellefeuil came to the job fair, and held their resumes with hope and excitement.
“Hoping that it won’t take long to get back in the air, or on the ground, and get a job,” said Bellefeuil.
Airlines have been assisting former employees in different ways. United Airlines has set up a separate website for former Spirit employees to apply for positions. At the same time, American Airlines has prioritized applications from former employees, and JetBlue has picked up former Spirit routes and added more positions.
“A lot of my friends, the younger ones, that may have families or [are] single mothers, they’re at a point where they’re about ready to take any job they can. Just to make ends meet. You know it’s a difficult situation,” said Bruce.
Broward County Commissioner Alexandra Davis spoke about the potential opportunities for new job seekers.
“Because of what happened with Spirit Airlines, and what’s happened even with Broward County [Public] Schools, there’s a lot of layoffs, a lot of people who will be looking for jobs. This is so timely. And so, not only do we have maritime positions, we also have aviation, construction, hospitality. It runs the gamut. And so this is an opportunity for folks to be here, change careers, or get a new job,” she said
Now, whether former employees hope to stay in the airline industry or pivot to a new career, many are grateful for the opportunity to attend the job fair.
“I really am happy about this. It’s the first job fair I’ve been to, to be perfectly honest,” said Bellefeuil.
Employees like Bellefeuil hope it will be the first and last job fair they attend.
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