LANSING — The State of Michigan, one of the first states in the nation to bring job seekers and employers together in a live virtual environment, hosts a MiVirtualCareerFair career networking event on Wednesday, Aug. 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“There are more than 60,000 jobs available in various industries on the Pure Michigan Talent Connect website, which connects Michigan employers to qualified talent as well as provides resources for job seekers,” said Joe Quick, manager of Talent Programs, Michigan Economic Development Corp.

“The virtual career fair allows us to extend those resources to job seekers and employers by connecting them through a live, 3-D virtual environment, without leaving their home or office. MiVirtualCareerFair is just one more innovative way the state of Michigan is connecting people to jobs.”

MiVirtualCareerFair allows employers to connect with top talent and gives job seekers the opportunity to apply for dozens of available positions without the inconvenience and expense of traditional job fairs.

Since the first MiVirtualCareerFair event in February 2012, more than 90 employers and more than 8,000 job seekers have been connected.

Within MiVirtualCareerFair, employers host exhibitor booths that include links to job postings, company profiles, employee benefits, and employer contact information, and allow job seekers to communicate one-on-one with company representatives.

Post-event, employers receive in-depth analytics including candidate resumes, applications, chat transcripts and booth visit data.

All job openings posted during the fair will be accessible to participants for 30 days after the live event.

The Aug. 28 MiVirtualCareerFair event will provide an opportunity to:

• Connect and interact with recruiters and business owners from wherever you are, avoiding the time and expense of traditional career fairs.

•Review available positions and submit resumes for multiple job listings.

• Meet and interact with other job seekers in the Networking Lounge.

• View informational videos in the Auditorium.

• Use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to search for connections and update your status from within the event.

Participation is free for job seekers, who can register, view informational videos on the virtual environment and learn how to navigate within the environment.

These employers will take part in the August MiVirtualCareerFair and will be looking to fill a wide range of positions:

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan

Charter Communications

Computech Corp.

Dart Container Corporate

Exotic Automation and Supply

Genemarkers

MassMutual MidMichigan

Proper Tooling

State of Michigan

Stout Systems

TAC Manufacturing

Two more MiVirtualCareerFair events are scheduled for 2013:

Wednesday, Sept. 25

Wednesday, Nov. 13

Employers interested in a hosting a booth in one of the upcoming MiVirtualCareerFair events are encouraged to contact Maria Nevai,  program manager for the Michigan Economic Development Corp. at nevaim@michigan.org.