MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) - As people are laid off during the coronavirus crisis, they could find work at an essential business. Many are busier than ever and hiring.
“With the surge in demand, we just need more people to stock shelves,” said Jim Hyland of Roundy’s Supermarkets. Pick ’N Save and Metro Markets are hiring 2,500 people across Wisconsin. “They’re all over the board. Part-time, full-time, salaried positions.”
They’re specifically asking for people who may be laid off right now. “We’re looking and hoping that some of these people who have lost their job in the hotel industry, the hospitality industry, the restaurant industry, will come to us, and we can offer them some help,” Hyland said. “Then when the economy recovers and if their businesses want them back, they’re free to leave.”
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development has a new page containing all the job listings in those essential businesses categories, like transportation, healthcare and grocery stores.
You’ll find job postings for truck drivers on that page. “We are busy right now hauling a lot of the critical supplies needed during this COVID crisis,” said Tim Norlin of Roehl Transport. “We haul everything from the toilet paper that’s been out of stock and paper towels, to food products, as well as medical supplies.”
Roehl is hiring 250 drivers in Wisconsin and surrounding states. Norlin said ideally, they’re looking to find people with their Class A CDL license. However, like many transportation companies, they’ll pay students while they’re in training. Currently they’re having issues with DMV services restricted, but are working on solutions.
Those jobs at Roehl are permanent positions. “There’s a lot of folks that are out of work, it may be a temporary deal for them,” Norlin said. “But may this makes them think ‘maybe I need to get into a different line of work’, and this might be a really good time to investigate being a truck driver.”
The goal is to get people back to work, in jobs our communities need right now. Hyland said he’s never seen grocery store staff so appreciated. “We like to think of our people as superheroes,” Hyland said. “We’re very very thankful for our truck drivers … but boy, we sure could use some more right now,” said Norlin.
Other companies hiring in Wisconsin include Woodman’s, Securitas Security, Amazon, Walmart, and Festival Foods.
That Department of Workforce Development page may contain some outdated job postings, even with current dates, according to several companies Spectrum spoke with. They recommend checking directly with the company before applying for a job from that site.
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