Clothes Closet returns to serve students

A campus Clothes Closet is open through the end of the semester for students in need of attire for business and interviews. 

Overseen by Delta’s Career Technical Education and Workforce Development Division (CTE), the Clothes Closet opened to serve the student population just before the Spring Job Fair on April 27. 

Laura Magallanes, Resource Specialist for CTE and DARTE (Directing Adults on the Right TrAC for Employment), oversees the operations in the closet alongside DARTE Learning Community interns.
Students in need of professional, interview attire can come to the Clothes Closet located in SCMA 234 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 
There, students can browse a selection of coats, pants, shirts, and ties. A small fitting area and a bathroom nearby are used to try on the apparel at their discretion. All students have to do is scan a QRcode near the front door to receive their selected items which updates a CTE newsletter.
CTE was present during the job fair.
“We had big turn out. We were there running the event from start to end and it was nice seeing the clothes put to use. About 67 [potential] employers showed up that day, which was one more than we planned for,” Magallanes said.
Job scouts offered positive feedback to CTE.

“They mentioned great interns and part time work,” Magallanes recalled.
This job fair was CTE’s first time back in person since 2019 and according to staff it was a success. Various student candidates are following-up with potential employers for interviews in the second week of May.

“We had students do a field trip into Niagara Bottling, and they do all of their own engineering, manufacturing and machine-tech,” Magallanes said.

A variety of companies were present at the job fair.

“The IRS was also present looking for accountants and auditors, offering bay area pay and work from home options,” Magallanes said.

Despite the job fair being over, the clothes closet is still open through the end of the semester. The closet will be closed for Summer, but Magallanes said there are plans for a grand re-opening in Fall when they return to continue serving students in need.
The Clothes Closet program runs entirely off of donations. If anyone has excess professional clothing that does not fit or is not used, CTE welcomes your potential donation. They’re specifically in need of professional attire for males, gently worn (tags preferred).
At the time of writing this, the current largest size available for male attire in the Clothes Closet is XL, which will not fit most plus size men. The options are better for female attire at this time, however, donations are still welcome in the same regard. To make a donation, come to the Clothes Closet during operational hours.CTE plans to serve students ahead of time for the following job fair in Spring 2024.