Job seekers' showcase sparks along with their resume during hands-on Houston fair

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Instead of the words on a resume, it was the fire on metal that helped candidates land work at a unique job fair.

Fabien Vercher has a fire that is more than just what comes out of his equipment.

"My grandfather was a welder for a shipyard," Vercher explained. "Ever since then, I wanted to pick it up."

Vercher hopes his career starts here at TXRX Labs in Houston's Magnolia Park neighborhood, where he got to work on the craft.

It's a passion he said he's ready to see grow. First, he's got to forget about who's watching.

"Sometimes when I'm in my head, I get nervous, but I have to learn how to take it out, focus on the weld, and watch the weld patterning," Vercher said.

The burns in this metal aren't for a teacher but for an employer. TXRX Labs offers free classes.

On Thursday, the facility went even further and invited a handful of construction companies who were hiring.

"We hire millwrights, which we really need right now," Turner Industries Group manager Carla Thompson explained.

"It's a challenge every day," Reytec Construction Resources CEO Gregg Reyes said. "It's one of our biggest challenges."

A job fair that allowed candidates to meet with employers and hand them resumes. But the words weren't all they saw. The sparks, cuts, and fire allowed employers to see even more. A demonstration that allowed the hiring process to go even smoother.

"You know what you're getting because there's an example of it," Reyes said.

"This is really new," Thompson explained. "This is very innovative. This is something that we haven't really seen before."

It's unfamiliar for Vercher, too, who hopes the demonstration helps him land a job.

"I would owe them a lot of gratitude," Vercher said. "It would help out a lot."

He has a spark that could help Vercher fulfill his fire, thanks to a unique opportunity.

TXRX Labs also told ABC13 that at least 16 people are expected to be hired from Thursday's job fair.

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