{"id":39664,"date":"2025-04-22T00:21:07","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T00:21:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/39664\/"},"modified":"2025-04-22T00:21:07","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T00:21:07","slug":"former-paragon-workers-still-seeking-employment-months-after-layoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/39664\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Paragon workers still seeking employment months after layoffs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Four months after Paragon Industries, a Sapulpa-based pipe manufacturer, laid off a number of its employees, many are still searching for work. On Monday, the Sapulpa American Job Center hosted a manufacturing job fair \u2014 an event that offered a glimmer of hope for those displaced workers<\/p>\n

While the fair wasn\u2019t organized specifically for former Paragon employees, it provided opportunities for individuals with similar skill sets. Representatives from BLOSS Equipment Co.<\/a>, TimCo<\/a>, FabsCo<\/a> and American Staff Corporation<\/a> met with job seekers to fill positions for general laborers, mechanics and welders.<\/p>\n

Among the attendees was Fred Shaffer, who is filling out job applications for the first time in nearly four decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was a quality control representative,\u201d said Shaffer, who was laid off on Dec. 23. \u201cI haven’t had a job since.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaffer had planned to retire from Paragon Industries after 37 years, but the unexpected layoff shifted his plans. Despite the hardship, he remains optimistic.<\/p>\n

\u201cGod provides,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s been kind of a struggle, but I\u2019ve been able to pay my bills. I’m still in my home. My creditors have been working with me, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tracey Ritz, manager of the Sapulpa American Job Center, said the turnout for the event exceeded her expectations.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a really good turnout,\u201d Ritz said. \u201cI\u2019m really pleased with the turnout that we\u2019ve had today. It\u2019s the first one of our monthly job fairs that we’re starting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ritz said she\u2019s seen a steady stream of former Paragon employees visit the job center since December and hopes the monthly fairs continue to support them.<\/p>\n

Shaffer remains hopeful.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just trust God that He\u2019s going to make it better for myself and for others,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a former Paragon employee \u2014 or anyone seeking a new career opportunity \u2014 American Job Centers across the area will be hosting monthly job fairs<\/a> moving forward.<\/p>\n

Tips for job seekers:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Research participating employers<\/li>\n
  2. Know your career objectives<\/li>\n
  3. Make a list of questions for employers<\/li>\n
  4. Polish your resume<\/li>\n
  5. Practice your elevator speech. Begin with a firm handshake and good eye contact. Use a clear voice and provide the employer with concise and relevant information.<\/li>\n
  6. Practice interview responses<\/li>\n
  7. Dress professionally<\/li>\n
  8. Bring several copies of your resume, pen and paper for notes, and breath mints<\/li>\n
  9. Get business cards, names, and contact information<\/li>\n
  10. Be professional, polite, and positive<\/li>\n
  11. Send a thank-you e-mail or letter to employers<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Four months after Paragon Industries, a Sapulpa-based pipe manufacturer, laid off a number of its employees, many are…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":39665,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3092],"tags":[22525,51,22524,22520,897,22522,22523,22521,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-39664","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-jobs","8":"tag-american-job-centers","9":"tag-business","10":"tag-equipment-co","11":"tag-fred-shaffer","12":"tag-jobs","13":"tag-paragon-industries","14":"tag-sapulpa-american-job-center","15":"tag-tracey-ritz","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114378760852442029","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39664","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39664"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39664\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39664"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39664"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39664"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}