Job fair: Boeing eager for workers

Published 11:03 pm Wednesday, July 11, 2007

EVERETT – What’s the fastest way to create interest in your company?

Try broadcasting the debut of your latest product in front of an international audience. The Boeing Co. hopes the rollout of its new 787 Dreamliner will drum up job candidates. The planemaker plans an employment fair Friday in Everett.

“We’re just looking for great people,” said Cindy Wall, a spokeswoman for Boeing.

Boeing showed off its first Dreamliner Sunday to 15,000 employees, suppliers and customers in a celebration watched around the world. Prior to the rollout, Boeing had won nearly 700 orders for the fast-selling, fuel-efficient Dreamliner. In the race to keep up with that demand, the company is looking for a few good men and women – actually, lots of them.

On Friday, Boeing managers and recruiters will focus mainly on hiring assembly electricians, assembly mechanics and manufacturing technicians, though the company has numerous other positions open. The planemaker hopes to attract “several hundred” to the job fair, Wall said.

Since mid-March, Boeing has added at least 100 machinists to its payroll weekly, reaching as many as 148 one week in early June.

“We try to keep the pipeline full,” said Rich Hartnett, who oversees hiring for Boeing.

To be eligible for the electrician, mechanic or technician positions, job seekers need to complete several steps, he said.

Prospective employees initially need to apply online, complete an assessment, then sign up for two to four weeks worth of unpaid training at the Employment Resource Center. Boeing does not guarantee jobs to everyone who finishes the training. However, Hartnett said, the hire rate is high.

Hartnett says it would be helpful for job seekers to submit their applications online prior to the job fair, where they can get additional information about the jobs available. But Everett Community College will provide computers for job candidates to complete and submit their applications online Friday.

“We have been very successful in the past with these,” Hartnett said.

Not everyone hired will end up working on the Dreamliner. Boeing has been in a hiring frenzy of sorts for the past three to four years as the industry has recovered from its 2001 downturn. The company has seen renewed interest in its established lines – 737, 747, 767 and 777.

The positions featured in Friday’s job fair are all located in Renton or Everett.

“We feel fortunate that Boeing is still considered an employer of choice in the Puget Sound region,” Hartnett said.

Reporter Michelle Dunlop: 425-339-3454 or mdunlop@heraldnet.com.