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New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions Secretary Sarita Nair delivers a keynote address on economic development at �ƹ���Ƶ on Wednesday, May 14, 2025.

Connecting community with careers

Categories: Students   Faculty   Staff   Community  

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�ƹ���Ƶ hosts 3rd annual Job Fair in partnership with America's Job Center NM

By Richard Reyes, Friday, June 6, 2025

GALLUP, N.M. — For Alex Laweka, of Zuni, New Mexico, a job fair is about more than just finding work. It’s about searching for the start of a new life that brings a sense of self-worth, dignity and confidence.

Laweka is a recovery housing resident with Hozho Center for Personal Enhancement in Gamerco, New Mexico. As part of the program, Laweka said he is required to go out into the community to look for work, so he came to The University of New Mexico-Gallup’s Spring 2025 Job Fair on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, to do just that.

Hozho Center provider Robinson Tom, of Little Water, New Mexico, accompanied Laweka to the job fair. Tom said he used to be in a similar situation himself. Now, he gives back and serves his community.

“I’m also 33 years of sobriety,” he said. “I used to walk the street. I used to sleep under the tunnel. I used to be one of these people that walk in the streets for weeks, not showering, not eating, no clean clothes, smell. Now, in return of that, I’m giving my service back to them.”

"A good opportunity"

The Spring 2025 Job Fair inside Gurley Hall featured about 40 local business and organizations seeking applicants for open positions.

The Job Fair is the result of an on-going collaboration between �ƹ���Ƶ as host and America’s Job Center New Mexico, formerly known as New Mexico Workforce Connections, as organizer.

The job fair is part of the Greater Gallup Economic Development Corporation’s annual Economic Development Week celebration, which highlights the impact of partnerships that drive innovation, growth and lasting change in the local economy.

“It’s a good place and a good opportunity,” Yoe said of the Job Fair. “I’m seeing a lot of students, and they have been coming up to our booth looking for summer jobs, and I think that’s a new thing that I’m seeing with this Job Fair. I think it’s a good opportunity not just for the community but also students who are graduating from high school and college as well.”

Lee said she noticed that the Job Fair attracted different vendors this year compared to the past two years, which gives them all an opportunity to network with each other.

Developing the workforce

Later in the afternoon, �ƹ���Ƶ also welcomed New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions Secretary Sarita Nair and Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren to deliver keynote presentations on economic development.

Looking toward changes to expect in the future, Nair said 65% of children who are entering primary school today are going to end up in jobs that don’t exist currently because of the development of new technology, such as artificial intelligence.

“We’re going to continue to see that kind of rapid geometric growth in technology that’s going to change what people are doing for work,” she said. “And that is going to result in 1 billion people worldwide needing reskilling by 2030, which is really not that far away.”

In his speech, Nygren stressed the importance of the Navajo Nation and State of New Mexico continuing to work together, supporting one another, and doing what they can to employ people. He also shared his own personal workforce success story.

Nygren said he went through a workforce development program when he was in high school and ended up cleaning restrooms and vacuuming. He joked that he was known as a “Ghostbuster” because of the Shop-Vac he carried behind him.

He believes his early work experience helped him become the person he is today.

“The main thing that I think about is just that sense of pride, of being able to provide for yourself, and to be able to provide for your family,” Nygren said. “I think that’s why we’re here today, on behalf of the state, on behalf of the nation, is how do we make sure that the dollars that we receive, we deploy them. And when we deploy them, we give people an opportunity to help themselves, to give themselves a sense of hope, a sense of dignity, and a sense of how do they empower themselves.”

Toward the end of the day, Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services CEO Wayne Gillis, Industrial Workforce Program Director Tom Macik, and �ƹ���Ƶ Community Education and Workforce Development Director Ashlee Velasquez also delivered presentations.

�ƹ���Ƶ student Dewight Leupp listens to Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren’s keynote address on economic development at �ƹ���Ƶ on Wednesday, May 14, 2025.