(Kathleen Horan/WNYC)

NEW YORK, NY November 20, 2008 —With the current economic crisis, job training fairs are getting popular for the unemployed or people looking to switch careers. As WNYC's Kathleen Horan reports, more than 200 people came out for a job fair in Coney Island yesterday.

REPORTER: Not that things were great in Coney Island before the recession. It's an area in transition, and any future development awaits new zoning proposals. The Coney Island Development Corporation organized this job fair as part of a career opportunities initiative. Two dozen representatives from professional training and certification programs participated. Most training opportunities were for entry-level jobs, from construction work to medical billing. Thirty-seven-year-old Bruce Nixon came out to see what he could find. He lost his job as a lab technician three months ago. He says the worries don't stop with three kids and the holidays coming.

NIXON: Can't buy toys with food stamps and that's my only source of income right now so I don't know.

REPORTER: Nixon wants training as a first responder, even though he thinks those jobs are hard to come by as well. He says he hopes the new Obama administration will offer different opportunities for people like him. For WNYC, I'm Kathleen Horan.