HOUSTON - Last year, the City of Houston, in collaboration with employers and various resource partners, connected to over 1,000 Houstonians through five job readiness events. Turnaround Houston, launched by Mayor Sylvester Turner, combines the elements of a job fair and a resource fair. The next Turnaround Houston Readiness Fair will take place Friday, May 12th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Southwest Multi-Service Center, 6400 Highstar. Houstonians are invited to attend this community-based initiative designed to help connect them to vital resources, job readiness services and assist with eliminating potential barriers to employment.

The Turnaround Houston Initiative seeks to employ 500 individuals over the next two years. Mayor Turner is asking at least 100 employers to commit to hiring Turnaround Houston participants. The City will work with the Gulf Coast Workforce Board - Workforce Solutions to provide incentives to employers and training to Turnaround Houston participants.

“So many of our citizens encounter difficulties securing employment for varied of reasons – whether it be a lack of education, poverty, mental health issues or prior criminal history. Whatever the reason, we want to ensure that they have an opportunity to tap into the myriad of resources that our wonderful city offers,” said Mayor Turner. “Turnaround Houston is a job readiness initiative. It provides our hard to employ citizens with a ’one stop shop’ of opportunities that could lead to them having a better future.”

“Workforce Solutions is committed to TURNAROUND Houston – and to helping returning citizens rejoin their communities and go to work in good jobs with a future. We are proud to support Mayor Sylvester Turner and the City of Houston in this effort,” says Mike Temple, Director for the Gulf Coast Workforce Development Board – Workforce Solutions.

Just a few of the confirmed May 12th Turnaround Houston “Readiness” Fair employers and resource partners include:

Brock Construction Company

Career Gear

City of Houston Human Resources Department

City of Houston Municipal Courts

Comcast

Dispute Resolution Center

Dollar Tree

Dominos

Flowers Bakery

Franklin Beauty & Barber Institute

Goodwill Employment Connection

Gulf Coast Workforce Board- Workforce Solutions

Harris County Criminal Lawyers’ Association

Harris County Department of Education

Harris County Sheriff’s Office

Houston Area Urban League

Houston Health Department

Lane Staffing

Mayor’s Anti-Gang Office

Nation Waste, Inc.

Operation ID

SER Jobs for Progress

Skanska

Taylor Smith Consulting

TD Industries

To see a full list of employers and resource partners, log on to www.turnaroundhouston.org