People who have been interested in substitute teaching but never knew how to get their foot in the door will be in luck later this week.

Substitute staffing firm EDUStaff will host an educational job fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at the Lewis Cass ISD headquarters, at 61682 Dailey Road, Cassopolis. People interested in applying for substitute teaching, paraprofessional and support staff positions with districts in Cass County and beyond are encouraged to attend.

During the fair, attendees will have a chance to meet with representatives with the staffing company, have their resumes reviewed and start their online applications. EDUStaff is also inviting officials from local school districts to the event to share more about any immediate openings they may have, said Lindzy Staples, a representative with the company.

EDUStaff provides temporary staffing to schools in Cass and Berrien counties, as well as other districts throughout Michigan. According to Staples, the company serves more than 300 schools in the state and employs 30,000 substitutes.

The firm hosts annual job fairs in many of the communities it serves, in hopes of recruiting additional people interested in substitute teaching.

“We want to drum up interest, because we lose about a third of our sub pool ever year due to them being hired on as full-time staff,” Staples said.

Compared to full-time teaching, requirements for substitute teaching are not as extensive, Staples said.

People are required to have completed at least 90 credit hours at any college (including community colleges) and must have maintained a 2.0 GPA or higher while in school. People applying for temporary work as paraprofessionals or support staff simply need to have graduated high school or received a GED.

People who apply may specify which schools they would like to work at when needed, and which days work best with their schedules.

“We have subs from every age group and every demographic,” Staples said. “So long as they meet the requirements to work, we will work with them to make substitute teaching fit into their schedule.

“It is a great fit for those who simply want to get their foot into the door to get into a permanent teaching position, or those who are retired and want something to supplement their income. Our subs really run the gamut.”

A resume is not required to apply for a position, and staff members will be on hand to guide people through the application process, Staples said.

People interested in attending are encouraged to pre-register by visiting EDUStaff.org and clicking the “job fair” image on the middle of the page. Walk-ins are also welcome.

For more information, people may call EDUStaff at (877) 974-6338.