Moving forward: Laid-off Cargill workers take part in job fair at Serb Hall

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Help for laid-off workers: A job fair was held on Thursday, August 14th to assist nearly 600 workers laid off when Cargill decided to shut down its Milwaukee beef harvesting facility.

Nearly 40 businesses took part in the job fair -- held at Serb Hall.

The Cargill beef harvesting facility closed on August 1st.

"It was an unexpected layoff, so it's great that we're giving them this opportunity right away so that we can get back into the workforce or explore additional educational opportunities to help better their careers," John Thomas with the state's Department of Workforce Development said.

Organizers were hoping that some people would be hired on the spot at the job fair.

Earlier this week, laid off workers took part in orientation workshops to get them ready for the job fair.

CLICK HERE for additional coverage on Cargill's beef harvesting facility's closure, via FOX6Now.com.