Cheryl Owens / The Meridian StarTalmadge Gray, a nursing supervisor at East Mississippi State Hospital, takes an application from Bridgett Wells as part of the Governor's Job Fair held at the Tommy E. Dulaney Center Thursday. East Mississippi State Employees Sherita Boyd, Angela Brown, and Penny Allen were on hand to help people looking for work.  

More than 800 job seekers filled the Tommy E. Dulaney Center at Meridian Community College Thursday, hoping to find the right fit.

The Meridian area job fair is a community driven one-day event where businesses that are looking to hire, and individuals who are looking for work, are brought together under one roof, said Adam Todd, director of the Governor’s Job Fair Network. 

“What we do is facilitate the hiring process – helping everyone interact with one another,” Todd said. “Hopefully everyone that was looking for a job was able to walk away today with the opportunity to go to work.”

Todd said jobs in the truck driving industry, followed by nursing and welding, are among the most popular at recent job fairs.  

Kenneth Shivers, a field recruiter for KLLM Transport Services in Jackson, said the company runs more than 3,000 trucks and always need drivers.

“We have opened up our own truck driving school,” Shivers said. “We will train you in a new trade for free. It is a 22-day class where you will receive your commercial driver’s license (CDL), and you are guaranteed a job with us.”

Talmadge Gray, a nursing supervisor at East Mississippi State Hospital, said the facility is looking for nurses, direct care workers, and clerical positions. For people looking to become Certified Nursing Assistants, Gray said training is offered on site.

“We have had several people stop by our booth today looking for jobs,” Gray said. “With the state, there is great benefits, good job security out there, as well as a lot of good people to work with.”

Christin Stamper of Newton came to the fair looking for a part-time job. She has a toddler at home.

“I like working with children and the elderly,” Stamper said. “I have worked in a nursing home and it’s something I really enjoyed doing.”

Beverly Price, a retiree in the communications field, came to the job fair because she is interested in re-entering the workforce.

“Today has been a wonderful experience for me,” Price said. “Everyone has been so supportive and took the time to encourage someone like me who is interested in reentering the workforce in a technical position. They understood my anxiety about being an older person seeking employment in a technical field.”

Thursday was Dave Blakley’s first trip to a job fair. 

“Most places you have to go online and fill out an application, you can’t just walk in a building and give them your resume,” Blakley said. “Here you get to interact with employers and see what the job is all about before you submit your application.”

The event went well, with many employers looking forward to next year, Todd said. 

“When the employers are leaving with a positive attitude – that makes you feel really confident going into the next year,” Todd said. “When you see people and businesses leaving the event with smiles on their faces you know that is a lot of positive things coming together.”

Governor Job Fair events are sponsored by the Office of the Governor, the Mississippi Development Authority and the Mississippi Department of Employment Security and the Mississippi Development Authority. Locations for future job fairs can be found at www.jobfairs.ms.gov.