SALISBURY — On Monday, the NCWorks Career Center held a recruitment event for Schneider, a Wisconsin-based trucking company that is looking for drivers to join their team. People were encouraged to come and speak to Schneider senior field recruiter Donna Yonish about their open job opportunities and roles.

Schneider hosts a similar event at NCWorks every few months. The in person environment during the recruitment process helps give it a human element that has been lacking in the past few years.

“Any time that a perspective employee can meet an employer face-to-face, it’s just good. A lot of people still like to talk to real life people,” Yonish said.

The NCWorks Career Center’s main role is to help individuals gain employment or find a new career. This is done by working with local agencies to get the word out about their services. Having events like this for employers themselves to meet people is an approach that can get results over time.

“We try to give employers also an opportunity to find employees. Employees are a big part of it, but the employers are the other part of it,” Joseph Dismuke, the center manager, said.

Even with how much shipping and delivery has evolved recently, Yonish spoke of the significance of having actual drivers moving cargo as essential to the overall health of the economy.

“There’s a shortage of tractor-trailer drivers because it’s a high-paying job, but it’s a tough job and not everybody wants to leave home and travel out on the road….Some stuff comes in from trains, containers from trains and ports, but you still have to have drivers to take it to the customers.”

Yonish says that Schneider prefers experienced drivers, but is realistic about what each applicant has to offer and they are willing to hear from people in the process of getting their commercial driver’s license or are still in school. Beyond hiring perspective applicants, Yonish wants to get the word out about Schneider and to clarify anything from interested parties.

“To answer any questions that they have and as a recruiter that some folks will apply and that they will come to work for our company,” Yonish said.