'JobMobile' brings employment help, interviews to job seekers in Newark

NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- Dozens of applicants gathered for a chance to meet face-to-face with employers who are seeking workers from the community in Newark Wednesday.

The WOW program, or Workforce on Wheels, helps residents get in direct contact with companies located in the city.

A vehicle called the "JobMobile" spent the morning in the Bradley Court Housing complex. Residents seeking employment could go in and go online, and get help with resumes.

Some even interviewed with the online food provider Hellofresh. Several applicants were successful in securing a job and will begin training for a position in the company's customer service department.

Out the 50 applicants on hand, some have been out of work for a while and others are just trying to make life better for their families.

The mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, and other local leaders joined in to kick off this effort.

The overall goal of the program is to reduce the unemployment rate in the city by half by the end of 2018. Currently, Newark's unemployment rate is about 7.9 percent. That's above the national average.

The WOW program, combined with other similar projects, is trying to bring more residents into good jobs right in New Jersey's largest city.

The WOW van will be traveling to all five of the city's wards, connecting applicants to potential employers.

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Watch Anthony Johnson's full story this evening on Eyewitness News at 5.