Job fair to hire 1,700 workers. Pay is among the highest in Eastern WA

Some of the highest paying employers in the Tri-Cities area are looking for candidates for up to 1,700 positions.

The Department of Energy and its contractors at the Hanford nuclear reservation site adjacent to Richland are holding a virtual job fair for all skill levels Dec. 7 and 8.

Department of Energy projects, which include both Hanford and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, account for about 11.3% of jobs in Benton and Franklin counties. But they pay about 23.4% of all wages in the two counties, according to the Tri-City Development Council.

DOE and its contractor leaders met in April 2019 to make job projections for the next five to 10 years.

They determined that about 1,500 to 1,700 people would need to be hired over the next five years due to retirements, normal attrition, and new operations and programs.

Some of the hiring being done now and in the near future is due to the start of operations around the clock at the Hanford vitrification plant, which is preparing to start treating low activity radioactive waste by the end of 2023.

Hanford was used from World War II through the Cold War to produce about two-thirds of the plutonium for the nation’s nuclear weapons program. Now about $2.5 billion a year is spent on cleanup of radioactive and chemical waste and contamination at the site in Eastern Washington.

Job openings include positions in Richland and also at the Hanford site.

In February, Hanford held its first virtual job fair. Some 1,500 people registered and 1,100 people attended the fair, exceeding expectations.

As a result, the upcoming job fair has been extended to two days. It will be held 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days.

Register for job fair

During the fair, those who have registered will have individual sessions to talk one-on-one on camera with DOE and contractor representatives.

They will be required to fill out a form online and upload a resume in advance.

A wide range of positions are available, including some that don’t require a college degree. They include clerical and labor positions. Students interested in internships also can learn more and apply at the job fair.

DOE and its contractors also are looking for attorneys, contract specialists, data analysts, engineers, finance professionals, firefighters, health physicists, journeyman lineworkers, physical scientists, project controls, project management, registered nurses and truck drivers, among other workers.

To register for the job fair on Wednesday, Dec. 7, go to bit.ly/3hyxRBO.

To register for the next day, Thursday, Dec. 8, go to bit.ly/3A2hgfL.

Information about participating employers and their jobs will be available with registration for the job fair. Employers include the federal government, Hanford environmental cleanup contractors, the vitrification plant contractor, the Hanford laboratory contractor, the Hanford site management contractor and the Hanford occupational medicine provider.

Together they employ about 10,000 workers, with subcontractors not participating in the job fair, employing additional workers.