Stan Bennet (left) with wife and partner Alison, will start airing a radio jobs fair with co-host Heidi Adam and Chamber of Commerce Director John Williams Oct. 5. The broadcast will run every Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. and re-air as spots on other Bennett Radio Group stations. Nicole Carter / Advertiser Democrat

NORWAY — Complaints about lack of workers has become a routine drumbeat of advertising, conversation and media reports.

In Oxford Hills, Chamber of Commerce Director John Williams decided to provide a new recruiting tool to small businesses in the region, with the help of Board Member Stan Bennett of Bennett Radio Group. The long-time colleagues are pairing up to bring a radio-based jobs fair to Oxford Hills. The fair launches Oct. 5 at 8:30 on WOXO and will run at the same time every Tuesday as a 15 minute spot.

Williams said he believes this could be the first of its kind job fair, coming out through the radio

“I wandered into the station two weeks ago,” Williams explained during a sit-down conversation at Bennett Radio Group’s Norway studio. “Stan and I were talking about things we’re doing between the station and the Chamber.  It occurred to me that with the labor shortage across Maine right now – businesses have lots of openings and trouble filling them. People are reticent to go back to work for any number of reasons. Some of it is COVID-related, some of it is people have gotten….used to being supplemented while unemployed and need to start looking around again. Some people have chosen to move away from the careers or jobs that they had.

“Lots of things are contributing, but I said to Stan that one of the best was I could think to get to word out in our community about what’s available (for jobs) is to do it on the air.”

The two developed a new program to do just that. Every Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m. they, along with morning co-host Heidi Adam, will present a help wanted broadcast that will be heard WOXO 92.7 in Norway and 100.7 in Rumford. The spot will be rebroadcast on sister station WIGY FM 105.5 and 95.7 on Sundays and will be aired in multiple spots on start-up station The Patriot FM 96.9.

Both Williams and Bennett are in the process of reaching out to small businesses in the WOXO coverage areas inviting them to participate. There will be no charge to be included and it is open to all companies, even if they are not active Chamber members. Business owners and managers should send their job postings directly to Williams at the Chamber of Commerce, either by emailing him at john@oxfordhillsmaine.com or calling the Chamber at 207-743-2281.

“It’s very basic, send us information about the job availabilities you have at your company,” Williams said. “We will literally, on the air, talk about job availabilities in our area, be it Hannaford, the casino, the market up the street. We want to get word out to the community about the jobs that are available.”

Bennett added that the broadcast will feature certain businesses each week.

“We want to show what the Chamber offers to small businesses in Oxford Hills,” he said. “And Bennett Radio stations are here to help the community.”