On May 5, 2025, the English Empowerment Center held its third Career and Opportunities Fair at the James Lee Community Center. With 285 attendees and over 500 registrants, this year’s event more than doubled last year’s participation and marked a major milestone in our efforts to bring community-centered, multilingual workforce development to Northern Virginia.
This year, we welcomed 37 exhibitors, including 15 employers and 22 service providers, offering everything from immediate job openings to services in legal aid, healthcare, housing, education, and refugee resettlement. Attendees came from across the region: Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church, and beyond. Of all registrants, 43.8% were current EEC students, and 56.2% were former students or community members new to our programs. Notably, 81% were attending a career fair for the very first time.
“It was my first time attending a career and opportunity fair. I really enjoyed it,” said one participant.
“I talked myself hoarse,” remarked one exhibitor. “There was such a great engagement from your community that despite my plan to exit a bit early, there wasn't any opportunity to! Thank you again for having us show up and having translators/facilitators at the ready so seamlessly.”
Preparing Adult Learners for Success
To support participants in making the most of the fair, we introduced new instructional tools and workshops. A custom lesson plan, developed by EEC Instructional Design Manager Soo Park, helped teachers prepare learners in the weeks leading up to the event. Students practiced asking questions, identifying career goals, and navigating scenarios they might encounter at a career fair.
In addition, a new Elevator Pitch and Networking Workshop, designed by Soo and led by EEC Board member Gaston Araoz, offered attendees the chance to build confidence in speaking about their skills and experience. The workshop joined a lineup that also included resume writing, digital literacy support, and job search guidance.
“It was a good opportunity for me as a newcomer to America to get to know the job and training aspects,” shared another attendee.
Powered by Community
This event wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication of our entire team, including 56 volunteers and EEC staff, who helped ensure that each attendee felt welcomed and supported. Thanks to multilingual volunteers and staff providing live interpretation support in Spanish, Polish, Korean, Arabic, Dari, and Pashto, participants were able to fully engage with the resources available.
Success stories have been rolling in. One participant has since been hired by Giant Food, and a resettlement agency shared,
“We were able to connect with so many community members and already have several folks getting set up for appointments at our center to receive support with food, clothing, and hygiene supplies. We were also able to share with many refugee attendees about [our] refugee-specific employment program.”
From major employers like ABM and HealthWorks for Northern Virginia to service providers supporting everything from mental health to afterschool programming, the participation of these varied exhibitors reflects a holistic, human-centered approach to workforce development which recognizes the many barriers adult English learners face and the resilience they bring.
Looking Ahead
The Career and Opportunities Fair creates a space where adult learners can see their English skills as professional assets, where local employers can connect with motivated job seekers, and where service providers can reach those who may not otherwise access their programs. It is a powerful reminder that when we bring opportunity directly to our community, we build bridges between where people are and where they want to be.
As we look ahead to our fourth annual fair in 2026, we invite employers and service providers who would like to connect with our vibrant, multilingual community to reach out. To learn more about participating as an exhibitor, please contact EEC’s Student Services Coordinator, Juan Perez at jperez@EnglishEmpowermentCenter.org.
Together, we’re not just teaching English, we’re opening doors to new possibilities.