Need a job? Fairfax wants you

In the past two years, despite the pandemic, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority attracted more than 5,000 people to eight career fairs.

The website for the workforce initiative — workinnorthernvirginia.com — lists jobs, internships and training opportunities from more than 500 companies and is getting 45,000-plus views per month, the EDA says.

“We’re really getting the reach out there,” says Mike Batt, director of the EDA’s Talent Initiative Program, which is focused on attracting new talent to the area, retaining employees and helping workers land higher-paying jobs. In addition to sponsoring its own career fairs, FCEDA also has participated in about 30 college and university events as part of the initiative during the past two years.

The Washington, D.C., metro area has nearly 3.4 million people in the labor force, and almost 57,000 people joined the workforce last year, he says, a 1.7% increase over 2020.

“We still need a lot more,” Batt says. “Right now, there’s 150,000 jobs open in Northern Virginia.”

One particular focus is attracting veterans who are transitioning out of military service to seek careers in Northern Virginia.

In May, the EDA teamed up with the Virginia Chamber Foundation and the Virginia Department of Veterans Services to host a two-day Veteran and Military Spouse Career Fair. The event held in-person sessions on May 11 at the National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir and a virtual fair the next day. More than 50 companies and about 600 veterans and military spouses participated.

With 27 military bases and some of the world’s largest defense contractors headquartered in Northern Virginia, not to mention the Pentagon itself, Virginia has a major defense industry presence.

As of late April, more than 1,400 companies in the region were hiring for a combined 18,199 security-clearance-level jobs, according to the EDA. And Fairfax County is home to nearly 80,000 veterans and their families, and nearly 2,000 veteran-owned firms.

Bruce Williams, a recruiter for BAE Systems Inc., a global defense contractor with its U.S. headquarters in Falls Church, says his company has been grateful to participate in the talent initiative, as have job seekers. “The events are well-organized and well put together,” he says.

Anna K. Nissinen, FCEDA’s vice president of marketing communications, says Fairfax County is home to about 8,700 tech companies, many of which are seeking workers. In addition to the many career opportunities, the area offers options for a good work-life balance. “You can hike in the mountains and then you can be in downtown D.C. within an hour.”