MEDINA — The Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities hosted its second annual workforce and resource fair on Wednesday to connect job seekers with providers serving individuals with developmental disabilities while raising awareness about career opportunities in the field.

The event brought together more than 20 provider agencies, each offering information about jobs and the services they provide throughout Medina County and surrounding communities.

Ed Dryer, Director of Community Support for the board, said that many people are unaware of the variety of careers available within the field.

“We’re always trying to encourage job seekers to look at working in the developmental disabilities field because, as a whole, it is experiencing workforce shortages, and I don’t think many people realize the opportunities that are out there. There are a lot of other things people can do that go beyond direct care,” Dryer said.

Agencies that participated in the fair represent a broad range of services, some of which include residential support, transportation, nursing, behavioral health services and social work. In addition to recruiting employees, organizations shared information about programs and resources available to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Cleveland, one agency at the fair, highlighted employment opportunities and programs designed to support individuals with a wide range of disabilities throughout different stages of life.

Paul Soprano, the director of OakLeaf Services, said that his agency helps people through two Centers of Excellence: LeafBridge for children and OakLeaf for adults.

Soprano also highlighted Project SEARCH, a school-to-work program in partnership with Westfield Insurance. The program helps students gain workplace experience through internships.

“Students in their final year of high school who have special needs and individualized education programs rotate through three 10-week internships at Westfield, with the goal that once they’re completed, they leave with skills to get a job,” Soprano said.

Another agency, “I am Boundless,” provides care to children, adults and families with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Molly Mallory said.

“We’re hiring for all of our programming, and we have adult day programming, after-school and summer programs for kids,” Mallory said.

Dryer said the annual fair serves a dual purpose by helping providers address staffing needs while connecting residents with information about available support services.

“If an individual is looking for services or has questions about resources, they can talk to a variety of people to get information,” he said.