Harlem Week returns for its 51st year this Summer, running from Aug. 1 through Aug. 17. As part of the celebration, the NYC Jobs & Career Fair will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 13 at The Great Hall on 160 Convent Ave. from 9 – 4 p.m.
The fair was presented in 2022 by the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce in response to the economic fallout of COVID-19, a time that left many New Yorkers unemployed and forced to reevaluate.
What started with just 350 attendees the first year grew to 1,500 in 2023, and last year, over 5,000 attended.
Harlem Week began as a one-day celebration more than five decades ago. According to GHCC Board Member Michael Flanigan, the driving force behind its creation was to counter the negative representation Harlem was receiving.
“Uptown Manhattan was not getting the economic support that it deserved relative to the rest of the city and maybe in the rest of the state,” Flanigan told amNewYork. “So the group of founders came together and said, let’s create a day of pride. A day of celebration.”
Since then, it has evolved into a two-week cultural “institution,” as Flanigan calls it, that lifts up the community through events like concerts, educational conferences, and career fairs.
The NYC Jobs & Career Fair, organized in partnership with The City College of New York, brings together more than 60 employers across all industries.
Whether you are looking to pursue a future in healthcare, hospitality, finance, social justice, or something different, the fair offers something for everyone — regardless of skill level or background.
“The great thing with this event is that with the broad range of exhibitors that we have, there’s always opportunities for anyone…We have folks from construction. We have folks from technology, transportation, banking and finance, hospitality, restaurants, and state and federal agencies,” Flanigan said.
This year’s fair will also include a resource area offering resume support and administering workshops tailored to attendees’ fields of interest.
Workshops this year will include sessions on technology careers, pathways to jobs in the public sector, and more.
Flanigan said the workshops are especially valuable for younger job seekers still figuring out their journeys.
“Whether they’re in college or just out of high school, they’re still trying to figure out what they want to do. And I think that’s one of the values of these workshops.”
For many, the fair has delivered immediate results.
“We’ve had people literally get jobs on the spot,” Flannigan remarked. “I remember this retail store telling us at the end of the day that they had hired about 200 people that day.”
For Harlem and all NYC residents, the fair represents far more than just a job hunt, it encourages people to take those steps towards a better future.
It also serves local businesses and institutions that are actively hiring people who love the Harlem community as much as they do.
For more details on the NYC Jobs & Career Fair, visit harlemweek.com, and check out the Greater Harlem City of Commerce for a full list of Harlem Week events.
