MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Professional Diversity Network, Inc. (Nasdaq: IPDN), today announced it will kick off its nationwide 2015 career networking conference schedule with the MLK, Jr. Holiday Diversity Career Fair in Minneapolis, MN on Monday, January 19, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Minneapolis Convention Center. With its unique blend of open recruiting, networking and education, the event will offer an array of career development opportunities for women, minorities, veterans, people with disabilities and members of the LGBT community. Sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the career fair is billed as the only local event of its kind.

"As experts in workforce diversity and inclusion, we are not only passionate about empowering clients to grow their business through sustainable D&I strategies, but also about putting Americans back to work," said Star Jones, President of Professional Diversity Network and the National Association of Professional Women (NAPW). "It is certainly fitting to host the Minneapolis career fair on the day that honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s vision of equality for all. Access to gainful employment and good paying jobs is important to realizing his iconic dream."

At 3.5%, the Twin Cities' (Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI) jobless rate is the lowest of any large metropolitan area in the nation, according to the latest U.S. Department of Labor data.  However, overall unemployment and underemployment levels among diverse job seekers — particularly African Americans in MN — are significantly higher regardless of educational attainment. The MLK, Jr. Holiday Diversity Career Fair offers professionals "real" access to employers seeking to hire diverse talent. Registered attendees can meet face-to-face with recruiters and HR managers representing a range of industries such as technology, healthcare and education at no cost. In addition to networking opportunities, the one-day event offers seminars on personal branding, resume writing and job interview techniques.

Professional Diversity Network's localized events also meet a critical need for its employer clients. By improving the ability to identify and recruit qualified diverse candidates, PDN helps companies realize long-term workforce diversity and compliance goals. Participating companies include 96.3 KTWIN, ACR Homes/ACR HealthCare, AllianceOne, Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Capella University, Endeavor Air, Flint Hills Resources, Hennepin County, Masterson Staffing Solutions and Mediacom Communications Corp and Minnesota Workforce/DEED, among others.

"When job seekers lack visibility and access to decision makers, the likelihood of being hired is nominal. Professional Diversity Network is fundamentally shifting this dynamic to improve the hiring outcomes of diverse candidates," said Mike Hall, Executive Vice President of Professional Diversity Network.  "This innovative format allows candidates to interface with HR professionals and, in some cases, interview on the spot. We hope every diverse job seeker in Minneapolis joins us to make quality connections with leading companies and organizations."

To register or see the full schedule, visit http://www.prodivnet.com/events/mlk-career-fair. Connect on Facebook and follow conference updates on Twitter @PDNEvents; hashtag #PDNEMLK.  

About Professional Diversity Network
Professional Diversity Network (PDN) is an Internet software and services company that develops and operates online professional networking communities dedicated to serving diverse professionals and employers seeking to hire women, minorities, veterans, LGBT and disabled professionals. Through job matching technology, national events, networking career fairs and relationship affinity groups, the Chicago-based company provides employer clients a means to identify and acquire diverse talent and assists them with efforts to comply with the Equal Employment Opportunity Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program. PDN's subsidiary, the National Association of Professional Women (NAPW) is one of the largest and most recognized networking organizations of professional women in the US, with over 600,000 members representing more than 200 industries. Online networking communities include iHispano, BlackCareerNework, WomensCareerChannel, Military2Career, ProAble, OutProNet and AsianCareerNetwork. For more information visit, prodivnet.com.

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SOURCE Professional Diversity Network, Inc.