Solar company held job fair Tuesday to hire Fayetteville workers
A solar company will do on-site hiring of construction and electrical workers at a job fair today.
Strata Solar, which held two job fairs in Fayetteville last month, will return for the all-day event at the Holiday Inn Bordeaux.
The Chapel Hill-based company has more than 200 openings to fill immediately, assuming the applicants can pass drug screenings and background checks, said corporate recruiter Dominic Kolleh.
The fair is 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 1707 Owen Drive. Kolleh said there will be plenty of seating in a comfortable environment for those who have to wait as candidates are interviewed.
Attendees are asked to bring two forms of identification for complete background checks and paperwork if they are hired.
Applicants with construction experience and military professionals are especially desirable, Kolleh said. People with technical troubleshooting, wiring, framing, electrical, carpentry and quality assurance experience are encouraged to attend.
The jobs pay at least $11 an hour, with higher wages depending on experience and the position, Kolleh said.
“We have a large need for skilled workers who would be able to pass a background check and drug screening,” she said.
That's one of the biggest obstacles Strata has encountered in hiring, Kolleh said.
When Strata came to Fayetteville last month, it hired 57 people for full-time positions. But of the roughly 200 people the company identified to refer to its construction contractors, only about 80 passed the drug screening. Today, the job fair will hold on-site drug screenings.
The company has more stringent requirements when it comes to criminal history. In the positions hired through contractors, Kolleh said, “we try to work with people with criminal backgrounds.”
Military veterans often have valuable leadership skills and training, even if they don't have construction experience, she said. The company offers training for all hires.
“Some employees we have to have go through more training than others,” she said. “That's really what we strive for, to really give everyone the training they need.”
Strata has an 80-megawatt farm under construction in Duplin County and three more that will be under construction by the end of this month – one in Robeson County, and two in Scotland County. A lot of employees hired by the company are in the remote regions near the solar farms. But with plans to build 30 farms in the state next year, there's plenty of work, she said.
“We try to find the strongest workers each time we're in a different area,” she said. “Even if they're hired on as a contractor, if could be a longer-term opportunity; they just need to get a little experience under their belts.”
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