BRYAN, Texas — While school districts across the country have been concerned with staffing shortages, Bryan ISD employees were encouraged by the applicant's response to their summer job fair today.
Bus drivers, nutrition service workers, and substitute teachers are just a few of the positions Bryan ISD is looking to fill.
“We’ve had a good, steady trickle of people coming in and a lot of interviews on the spot," said Angela Behrens, assistant director of human resources for Bryan ISD. "I know that a lot of hiring managers have been making recommendations today, so it’s been a really good job fair.”
Local married couple Noe Canchola and Viri Martinez both applied for substitute teaching positions together. Martinez is five months pregnant and wants to work a job with less physical demand than that of her current position as a detailer for Frito Lay.
“I used to work at Chuck E Cheese," she said. "I was a birthday coordinator there. I started off working with kids and it was pretty fun.”
Canchola said he wants to leave the insurance industry, where he has seen too much heartbreak with people losing their cars and homes during the recession. He wants work with a purpose; to work with middle and high school kids, whom he feels aren’t focused on as much as adults.
“I feel like if you approach it with the right mindset and attitude to help those students, you can accomplish a lot," Canchola said.
Bryan resident Maria Guadalupe Saldona has two children in Bryan ISD schools. She applied for a nutritional services position on Tuesday, with the hope to share her cooking skills not just with her own children, but with many children.
“It’s important to have a job, and most important to serve your community and be a good person with a good future," she said in Spanish [translated].
Tuesday’s job fair focused on auxiliary positions, not full-time teaching positions. But with the new teacher hiring standards that allow for college grads to apply for teaching jobs without certification, Behrens said a number of applicants visited the school to submit their resumes for educator positions.
To apply for a job with Bryan ISD, visit the following link:
Apply Online – Human Resources – Bryan Independent School District (bryanisd.org)