Dozens of job seekers peppered recruiters representing more than 25 different employers in the Rio Grande Valley with questions about open roles at the Jose “Pepe” Salinas Memorial Recreation Center in Pharr this week.
One person looking to enter the workforce for the first time was McAllen native Valeria Perez, an 18-year-old who graduated from a local school district high school in May.
Perez said that although she envisions a future as a commercial electrician wiring retail centers and holds an Occupational Safety and Health Administration certificate, she doesn’t expect to stay in the Valley in her early career as an apprentice.
Even her mentor, a local electrician who was paired with her in high school, suggested she may have to travel outside South Texas for work until she gains more experience.
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Kristen Mosbrucker-Garza
Reporter
Kristen Mosbrucker-Garza is a versatile multimedia news reporter who lives and works along the Texas-Mexico border in Hidalgo County. Mosbrucker-Garza is a news reporter for the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal. During her career she's worked for the McAllen Monitor, San Antonio Business Journal, The Advocate Newspaper in Louisiana, Phoenix New Times, and public media outlets in Baltimore and Philadelphia.
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