Upcoming Events with Senator Joe

Wednesday, February 8

Senator Manchin’s staff participates in our first job fair of 2017 at the Charleston Goodwill.

Wednesday, February 8

From Washington, Senator Manchin skypes with students from John D. Rockefeller Career Center in New Cumberland.

Friday, March 17

Senator Manchin, along with students from across the state, skypes with the International Space Station at the Clay Center in Charleston, and co-hosts an "Out of this World" career fair.

Friday, April 21

Senator Manchin co-hosts a Regional Job and Resource Fair in Huntington at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena.

Manchin's Mountain Message

As your former Governor and now as your U.S. Senator, my top priority has always been jobs. West Virginians want to work, we just need the opportunity. There is no doubt that our state has been hit hard economically over the past few years, especially our extraction industries. Layoffs, a reduction in the state severance tax and state budget cuts have loomed over us, hitting families’ pocket books and community budgets hard.

I truly believe the best public service I can provide during this time is to help connect employers with future employees. That is why last year, I instructed my staff to organize regional job fairs across West Virginia. We participated in 14 job and resource fairs across the state that had thousands of West Virginians in attendance. We offered classes on resume building, first impressions and social media. We also hosted a Mined Minds segment, a computer coding program, at our Logan event, and linked West Virginians up with new opportunities in the aerospace industry at the Robert C. Byrd National Aerospace Education Center.

These free job and resource fairs were so beneficial that we are going to do them again this year.  Our first will take place in Charleston on February 8, with another one in Huntington set for April 21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  We are planning many more across the state throughout the year.  We have already met with WorkForce West Virginia to discuss programs and services and how we can work together to get our workers connected with the right jobs.

With one of the lowest labor force participation rates in the country and per capita income at only 79 percent of the national average, it is clear West Virginia is lagging behind. The better we build these bridges and foster these connections, the more positive the economic outlook of our state will be for decades to come.

Yes, our state and nation face many challenges, but with challenges comes opportunity for progress. I know a lot of you believe our government is broken and will never work again. However, I am always optimistic.

When it comes to governing, it should not matter if you’re Republican or a Democrat – we need to put party politics aside and only worry about what’s good for our state and its people. I commit to you to always put our families first. And I believe the best way to do that is to focus on economic development that will help grow our state’s economy and connect West Virginians with meaningful job opportunities.