Large crowd attends regional Job Fair in Athens

Approximately 400 people from around the region attended a Job Fair at the Athens Community Center on Wednesday, April 17, and many of them found leads for new jobs.

At the conclusion of the Job Fair, in fact, four of the 58 employers who took part in the event reported that they had already hired people they had spoken with that day.

Sponsored each year by The Work Station in Athens County, the Meigs County One-Stop Jobs Center and the Perry County 1-Stop Jobs Center, the Job Fair brings together a wide range of employers from all across the region.

Chrissie, who has a master’s degree in family studies, attended the Job Fair hoping to find employment opportunities to match her degree. The Job Fair offered a few possibilities for her, and Chrissie was pleased that there were so many job opportunities for people with or without college degrees.

Betty came to the Job Fair knowing exactly who she wanted to talk to and what she wanted to say. She has worked in the region for several companies and is looking to make a career change. At age 60, it can be difficult to change careers, but Betty was confident that she could find a position at the Job Fair that fit well with her skills and experience. She put together packets to give to the employers that she was interested in working for, and she left the event feeling very positive about two job opportunities.

“It went very well,” Betty said. She added that she believes that preparing for the Job Fair is the key to taking advantage of the different opportunities.

“You’ve got to put the effort in,” Betty said.

Terry, a retired coal miner, came to the Job Fair hoping to land just about any job he could find.  He has worked on assembly lines, in manufacturing and in carpentry, but knee problems have made it difficult for him to do some of those jobs now. He found several job opportunities he was interested in at the Job Fair and filled out applications for those positions.

Nicholas attended the Job Fair hoping to find work in healthcare, and he also was pleased with the different opportunities that were available.

“I’ve liked it,” Nicholas said.

Rochelle attended the Job Fair hoping to find a job in nursing. She worked in healthcare previously and has a nursing degree, but has been working in a family business for the last five years. She is anxious to get back into the healthcare field, and was pleased with the number of employers she was able to talk with about potential jobs.

“It’s been great,” Rochelle said.

Other job seekers in attendance were looking for jobs in a variety of fields. All of the people surveyed for this article were pleased with the wide range of employers, and one person asked if the Job Fair could be held more often than just once a year.

Dian Hysell of the Country Inn Adult Group Home near Albany took part in the Job Fair hoping to find some additional employees for the new business.

“It’s been going really well,” Hysell said. The facility, which is designed for adults who are age 55 or older, will open later this year and provide a wide range of care for its residents. At the Job Fair, Hysell was looking for nurses, as well as people with a variety of skills needed at the facility.

“I have some applications,” Hysell said.

Representatives from Wal-Mart in Athens were also on hand at the Job Fair, and they explained that they were taking applications for several positions. They received a lot of interest at the Job Fair and were pleased that they were able to speak with so many potential employees.

Several other employers echoed their comments, saying they were very happy with number of potential employees they were able to speak with at the Job Fair.

Representatives of educational/job training organizations such as Tri-County Adult Career Center said they were also pleased with how many people came up to their booths and spoke to them about the different job training programs that are available.