Job, career, internship, training or education seekers are invited to jump on board and attend a new event.
During Jackson County Express Destination Hire Me!, there will be a lot of information available, and some people could receive an onsite interview for a job or an internship.
Around 40 Jackson County Industrial Development Corp. contributors will be set up from 4 to 7 p.m. May 16 and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 17 inside Celebrations in Seymour offering information about their services and opportunities.
That includes industries, businesses, health care, skilled trades, preschool, K-12 and postsecondary.
“We have always tried to do something at the end of the school year to reach those graduating seniors that potentially aren’t going on to college that are going to be entering the workforce,” said Jackie Hill, workforce director with JCIDC. “We’ve tried to take companies to the schools for interviews, but we still think the kids are thinking that’s a school exercise, and it’s not got a lot of real meaning to it.”
JCIDC had some additional funding left over from the Skill UP Indiana! grant received by the regional EcO Attainment Network.
“We put our heads together and we decided, ‘Let’s conduct an event, take it offsite on no school campus and do a job fair,’” Hill said.
“Then we took it a step further and said, ‘OK, how we do we let the community, let parents know what the schools have to offer?’” she said. “Schools are a business now, and so you have parents out there that are looking for a school that fits the need of their child, whether it’s pre-K all the way through postsecondary, so let’s give the schools an opportunity to come to this and tell the community about themselves.”
Nearly a dozen local industries and several businesses and staffing agencies will be on hand.
The job fair will target the unemployed, underemployed or those looking for a career change. It’s also for graduating seniors entering the workforce or looking for summer jobs or internships and underclassmen looking for school-to-work opportunities or part-time jobs.
Attendees are encouraged to bring their résumé and dress for a possible onsite interview.
“Some of the companies will have their websites to pull up, so their online applications will be there,” Hill said.
Several local schools and area colleges and education centers also will have information about what they offer to children and adults, including curriculum, extracurricular activities and programs.
“Whether you’re looking for preschool or whether you’re looking for employment, it’s definitely an event to come to,” Hill said.
Also during the event, JCIDC will have information about summer robotics camps offered in the summer, and an Indiana National Guard employment specialist will be available for veterans looking for jobs, training opportunities and services through adult education.
The Seymour High School agriculture department will sell concessions.
Besides Jackson County residents, Hill expects the event to draw people from surrounding counties because it was marketed through the regional EcO Attainment Network.
“We would love to have this as an annual event,” Hill said.
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What: Jackson County Express Destination Hire Me!
When: 4 to 7 p.m. May 16 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 17
Where: Celebrations, 357 Tanger Blvd., Suite 101, Seymour
Who: Anyone looking for a career, a summer job, an internship, training opportunities or a school; there will be around 40 booths representing local industries, businesses, health care, skilled trades, preschool, K-12 and postsecondary
Cost: Free
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