Mississippi College Recruiters Assist at Governor’s Job Fair

Mississippi College admissions counselor Meg Shaw assists Adrianna Neal, 21, of Brandon, who plans to transfer to MC this fall. Shaw teamed with admissions colleague Mark Davis to help prospective MC students attending the Governor's Job Fair at the Trade Mart in Jackson.

Recruiters from Mississippi College stayed busy at the Governor’s Job Fair as leaders seek to combat the state’s 9.5 percent unemployment rate.

Doors opened to advance career skills at MC and other area colleges or land jobs stretching from companies such as Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula to Baptist Health Systems in Jackson. Representatives from state agencies and companies like Walgreens, Comcast and Georgia Pacific were also out in full force at the event in Jackson Wednesday.

“The job fair gives us a presence to meet potential students,” said Mississippi College admissions recruiter Mark Davis as prospects began to line up at the Christian university’s table at the Mississippi Trade Mart. The annual event also gives MC admissions people the chance to network with human resources officials from companies across the state, he said.

Adrianna Neal, 21, of Brandon visited the MC table to get a little more information before she transfers from Mississippi State University in the fall.

“I’ve heard good things about MC,” says Neal, a Brandon High graduate who plans to become a communication major on the Clinton campus. “I like the Christian environment.” After earning a Mississippi College degree, she seeks to go into the marketing field in the Jackson area.

Others came by with similar stories as they spoke about upgrading their career skills amid a tough USA economy.

“We’d love to have you at MC,” Davis told a potential prospect, Toni Jenkins of Byram, who’s also job hunting at the Trade Mart.

A Jackson State University business graduate, Jenkins plans to earn a degree in English if she enrolls at Mississippi College. Asked why she’s considering MC, Jenkins said, “Because it is a Christian university and is close by. I like it.’’

Davis teamed with admissions colleague Meg Shaw and the duo kept talking with potential students from the moment the six-hour fair opened its doors at 9 a.m. Last year’s event attracted more than 2,000 Mississippians.

Adam Todd, director of the Governor’s Job Fair Network, says the event in Jackson is among a series of programs statewide designed to reduce the 9.5 percent jobless rate. “Mississippi always seems to be a point above the national average. We host job fairs all over Mississippi,” he said. “It’s been steady all morning.”

The nation’s latest jobless rate is 7.7 percent, but the USA economic recovery remains slow.

During a live interview on the SuperTalk radio show at the Trade Mart, Gov. Bryant said the blitz of job fairs are proving effective. “This does work. People do come,” he said. “Let’s put them to work.”

The job fair also serves a useful purpose for institutions like Mississippi College, Todd said. “Right now if you don’t have the skills needed for the economy, it’s a good time to get an education.”

Across the Magnolia State, there remains a high demand for skilled laborers such as welders, but also for nurses and others in the healthcare field, he said.

There were some success stories to share from last year’s program. One of the Mississippians looking for work at the 2012 fair in Jackson was on the job as a company recruiter Wednesday.

The Mississippi Employment Expo and other job fair events are sponsored by the Office of the Governor and the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. Other upcoming events include the Spring Southern Region Military and Civilian Job Fair in Biloxi April 9, and the Rankin County Area Job Fair May 29 at the Rankin Campus of Hinds Community College in Pearl.

For more information, contact Adam Todd of the Governor’s Office at 601.321.6154 or atodd@mdes.ms.gov.