SAN DIEGO — Equality Professionals Network (EPN), a group that represents Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) business professionals and their Allies, will hold their Second Annual LGBT & Allies Career Event on Monday, May 12, 2014, 5:00-8:30 p.m., at the Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa at 3999 Mission Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92109 on Mission Bay. The event is free, open to the LGBT community and Allies, and includes a job fair, professional development workshops, and networking. The event is presented by EPN, sponsored by Adecco Staffing and Evans Hotels, and supported in part by a grant from San Diego Pride. Attendees must register in advance at http://epncareers2014.eventbrite.com.
The event will feature a variety of San Diego employers, including: Qualcomm, CareFusion, Union Bank, Hewlett Packard, Intuit, Adecco Staffing and affiliates Alijon (finance & accounting), Modis (IT) and Special Counsel (legal), San Diego County, San Diego Housing Commission, UCSD Health Sciences Permanent and Temporary Employment Services, Kaiser Permanente, Scripps Health, Sharp Healthcare, Bair Financial Planning (MetLife Premier Client Group), Evans Hotels, Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel, Harrah’s Rincon Casino & Resort, Comerica, NuVasive, Tyson Foods, Home of Guiding Hands, Waddell & Reed, Dial America, and intelicaredirect.
Human resource professionals and internal and external recruiters from these employers will be on hand to share information about job opportunities, meet diverse candidates face-to-face, and support building a diverse workforce.
Several resource providers will also be on hand to assist job seekers: Congressman Scott Peters staff will provide guidance about Federal employment and the Office of Personnel Management; San Diego State University’s Career Services staff will do resume reviews on site; and a representative of the Covered California program via The San Diego LGBT Community Center will provide information about health insurance options.
In addition, the event will feature a variety of professional and career development workshops, including U.S. and San Diego Business Trends, LinkedIn, Re-Careering, and a special workshop geared for the Transgender Community to address job hunting and workplace equality issues. The first workshop begins promptly at 5:30pm, so attendees are encouraged to arrive early to get a seat; check-in will open at 5pm.
According to Jaye Whittaker, chair of Equality Professionals Network (EPN), “EPN’s Career event is a place where LGBT business professionals can come to network and job hunt, and feel safe that the companies participating in this event are inclusive and welcoming of LGBT employees and workplace equality.”
Scott Gayes, Branch Manager, Adecco San Diego, a recruiting firm, notes that, “Our local Adecco office has always put diversity and inclusion at the forefront of what we do for a living – getting people jobs. Sponsoring an event like this is right up our alley, and gives credit to our company’s mission to enrich and strengthen the communities where we live and do business. We are PROUD to support Equality Professionals Network’s Second Annual LGBT & Allies Career Event!”
As Prof. Kathleen Connell, EPN’s vice chair states: “We hear from contacts and experts that the Main Street economy continues to recover for job seekers in the U.S. and San Diego. Yet diverse and LGBT job candidates, mature workers and other segments of the labor force still face special obstacles to employment. With that in mind, we are offering free workshops, led by top San Diego experts on the economy, transgender employees at work, and re-careering. Our base is inclusive, and we welcome the LGBT community and Allies who support full equality.”
The Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa is sponsoring the event as the venue host, and will also provide free on-site parking and a networking area for attendees with food and drink specials on their Mission Bay waterfront.
