St. Johns County Library System Opens Registration for 2027 Career Fair

The St. Johns County Public Library System is inviting local businesses to participate in its 2027 Career Fair, a free event designed to connect employers with job seekers and students across the county. Registration is now open for employers and runs through February 13, 2027.

The fair will take place Saturday, February 20, 2027, from 10 a. m. to 1 p. m. at the Solomon Calhoun Community Center in downtown St. Augustine, bringing together businesses and organizations with residents looking to start or advance their careers.

What's happening

The St. Johns County Public Library System and the county's Department of Economic Development are organizing the second annual Career Fair, set for February 20, 2027, at Solomon Calhoun Community Center, located at 1300 Duval St., St. Augustine. The event runs from 10 a. m. to 1 p. m.

Employer registration is free and open through Saturday, February 13, 2027. Businesses and organizations can register through an online form available on the county website.

The library system first hosted the event in 2025, drawing more than 20 participating businesses. Employers will have the opportunity to showcase job openings, company culture, and career paths to attendees from various fields.

"Events like this Career Fair embody the library's commitment to empowering individuals and strengthening the community," said Debra Rhodes Gibson, Library Director. "By connecting job seekers with employers, we continue our mission to connect residents with the resources they need for success. "

Christine Valliere, Director of Economic Development and Intergovernmental Affairs, noted the mutual benefit for businesses and job seekers. "When businesses participate in a career fair, they're helping to build the workforce our community needs while finding talent to support their own success," she said. "We appreciate employers taking the time to share their opportunities and help people see where their skills and experience could lead. "

Why it matters for St. Johns County's workforce

The career fair addresses a practical need in one of Florida's fastest-growing counties. St. Johns County has seen sustained population growth driven largely by families relocating for the area's highly rated schools and quality of life, creating ongoing demand for workers across sectors.

Events that connect local residents with employers close to home can reduce the pressure on regional commute corridors—particularly I-95 and CR 210, where traffic congestion has grown alongside the county's residential development. When more residents find work within St. Johns County rather than commuting to Jacksonville or elsewhere in the region, the strain on those routes typically moderates.

For job seekers, access to multiple employers under one roof simplifies the often time-consuming process of identifying openings and understanding what local businesses offer. Students exploring career options can gain exposure to industries and pathways they might not encounter otherwise, particularly in a county where new businesses and sectors continue to establish operations.

The library system's role in hosting the fair reflects a broader trend among public libraries nationwide, which have increasingly become hubs for workforce development, offering resume workshops, computer access, and meeting space for professional networking. In St. Johns County, where the library system operates branches across a geographically large and rapidly growing area, these services extend beyond traditional book lending to address economic and community needs.

What this means for local businesses

For employers, particularly small and mid-sized businesses, recruiting can be a significant challenge in a competitive labor market. Career fairs offer a cost-effective way to meet potential hires face-to-face, assess soft skills, and communicate company values in ways that online job postings cannot replicate.

The free registration removes a financial barrier that sometimes limits participation in recruiting events, making it accessible to startups, nonprofits, and local enterprises that may lack the budgets of larger regional employers. In a county where new commercial development and business relocations are common—especially along the CR 210 and SR 16 corridors—access to local talent is a recurring concern for business owners.

The timing in February also aligns with typical hiring cycles. Many businesses plan staff additions for spring and summer, and students graduating in May often begin serious job searches in the late winter months. The fair provides a natural bridge between those timelines.

Businesses that participated in the inaugural 2025 fair helped establish the event's credibility. With more than 20 employers at that first iteration, the fair demonstrated enough scale to attract a meaningful pool of job seekers. The 2027 event builds on that foundation, and repeat participation from employers can signal to residents that the fair is a reliable, worthwhile opportunity rather than a one-off experiment.

Community and economic development implications

The partnership between the library system and the county's Economic Development office reflects a coordinated approach to workforce challenges. Economic development agencies typically focus on attracting and retaining businesses, but the availability of a skilled, reliable workforce is often a decisive factor in whether companies choose to locate or expand in a given area.

By supporting workforce connections, the library system contributes to the county's broader economic competitiveness. Employers that can fill positions locally are more likely to remain and grow in St. Johns County, which in turn sustains the tax base that funds schools, infrastructure, and public services—critical in a county managing rapid growth.

The choice of venue—Solomon Calhoun Community Center, a civic facility in downtown St. Augustine—also situates the event in a central, accessible location. Downtown St. Augustine is served by public transit and is familiar to residents across the county, which can reduce logistical barriers for job seekers who may not have reliable transportation to more remote locations.

For students, particularly those from families newer to the area, the career fair provides visibility into what kinds of employers operate in St. Johns County. In a region where much of the workforce historically commuted to Jacksonville, understanding local job opportunities can shape decisions about where young professionals choose to live and work after completing their education.

What happens next

Employer registration remains open through Saturday, February 13, 2027. Businesses and organizations interested in participating can complete the online registration form available on the St. Johns County Public Library System website.

The library system has indicated that employers will have the opportunity to set up booths or tables to display materials, speak with attendees, and distribute information about their organizations. Specific logistical details—such as booth assignments, setup times, and any provided materials—are typically communicated to registered employers in the weeks leading up to the event.

For job seekers and students, attendance is expected to be free and open to the public, though the county has not yet released detailed information about pre-registration or walk-in policies for attendees. Additional details are available by emailing sjcpls@tblc. lib. answers. com.

The event is part of the library system's ongoing slate of community programs, which also includes workshops, educational series, and public meetings. Information about those offerings is available at www. sjcpls. org.

The bigger picture

The career fair is one piece of a larger effort to manage the workforce implications of Northeast Florida's growth. As St. Johns County continues to add thousands of new residents each year—many drawn by new master-planned communities like Nocatee, SilverLeaf, and RiverTown—the demand for services, retail, healthcare, education, and skilled trades grows in tandem.

Ensuring that the local labor market can meet that demand without requiring long commutes or importing workers from outside the region is a recurring challenge for local government and economic development officials. Public-private partnerships, employer engagement, and accessible community events like this career fair are tools counties across Florida use to address that challenge, and St. Johns County's approach reflects those broader strategies in action.