>> Conference Welcome Reception, 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Nov. 3, TD Ameritrade Park, 1200 Mike Fahey St., Omaha
>> Conference and Expo, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Nov. 4, Embassy Suites, 12520 Westport Parkway, La Vista.
Registration is required for the conference: $150, or $50 for college students and $25 for high school students. For more information or to register, visit www.heartlandlatino.org or call Turner Events and Marketing at 402-926-1199.
If you're a Latino professional — or anyone else looking to land a job with local employers ranging from banks to hospitals — it's time to dust off your résumé.
Tuesday, more than two dozen businesses will be reaching out to job seekers at the second annual Heartland Latino Leadership Career Expo, held at the Kroc Center in Omaha. The event is connected to the Heartland Latino Leadership Conference, which will be held in November in La Vista.
The conference has been around for 12 years, but the career expo made its debut last year, drawing more than 300 people. Of that group, about 90 percent were Latino and half were under age 35. Most had graduated from high school and attended college.
Athena Ramos, president of Heartland Latino Leadership, said it's a group of job seekers that employers are clearly interested in. In some cases, they're looking to add bilingual employees, but others are looking for a broader range of characteristics.
At last year's event, some people were hired on the spot.
"You look at almost any company in Omaha, especially major employers, and they're always looking for a way to increase access into diverse communities," she said.
Employers scheduled to be at this year's event include Alegent Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska, Boys Town, Cox Communications, Mutual of Omaha and Wells Fargo.
This year, organizers decided to hold the career expo a month in advance of the conference to give both job seekers and employers more of a chance to focus on conversations about hiring.
The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required for the events in November.
The conference will include several speakers, including Latino entrepreneurs and executives and a keynote speech by Rubén González, who has competed in the luge in four Olympic Games. It will also feature awards for people and organizations who have done work to benefit the Latino community.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1543, erin.golden@owh.com
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