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By Jon Shirek and Julie Wolfe , WXIA 10:27 PM.
GMT April 01, 2016

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (WXIA) -- Thousands of job seekers jammed the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park Friday for the annual jobs fair organized by Metro Atlanta Congressman David Scott. And among the employers who are hiring -- Homeland Security agencies, looking for people to help fight the war on terror.

Officer Arrisia Sims of U.S. Customs and Border Protection was there with some of her fellow officers trying to hire more than five hundred additional people to help secure the nation’s borders.

"We're actually looking for fresh, young, people with experience in law enforcement," Officer Sims said.  "What you'll be doing is, you'll basically be dealing with the entry to the U.S.,” Officer Sims said, “and just making sure that we keep a hold on terrorism, and making sure that we weed out all the people that don't need to be here."

The FBI was there, hoping to hire 200 new employees.

This is the 13th annual jobs fair that Rep. David Scott, (D) GA-13, has organized, and this year, he said, there was special emphasis on putting people to work protecting the U.S.

"A war has been declared on us with this terrorism.” Scott said, “But, through this jobs fair, you can see that we're declaring war back…. We’re beefing up.  We’re getting more secure because of the threat of terrorism and the actuality of this violent, radical terrorism that we’re faced with…. We’re at war with radical Islam… And we put money in the budget now" for more federal, Homeland Security agents.

More than 6,300 jobs, in all, were available Friday.  There were private sector jobs -- Delta Air Lines had the longest lines of applicants – as well as the government jobs.
 

And more than 21,000 people showed up -- Silas Bankston, among them.

"It's wonderful in here,” Bankston said, “everybody has high hopes, everyone's thinking positive.  I feel like I'm going to come away with a good job today!"

And by Friday afternoon, Bankston had secured three appointments, for next week, for final interviews with three companies interested in hiring him.
 

In 2012, Verlicia Carroll lost her job.  In 2013 she came to the jobs fair.  Glock, based in Cobb County, hired her.  This past August, Glock promoted Carroll.  Now she’s in charge of Glock’s recruiting.  And she was back at the jobs fair on Friday, looking to fill 13 openings.

"It changed my life," Carroll said.  "I didn't just get a job, I got a career.  I was here three years ago, I was one of them.  And I'm here now.  So, it can happen.  It can happen."

A year ago, Metro Atlanta's unemployment rate was 6 percent.  Now it's 5.3 percent.  Those are the official rates.  No one knows how many of the tens of thousands of people at Friday’s jobs fair were not even being counted among the unemployed because they'd given up and dropped out – people re-entering the job market, now.  Full of hope, now.

"I see so many people who are out here, hungry, and have a desire," said Officer Sims of Customs and Border Protection.  "I look at [this recruiting] as being a light in a dark place, to be able to come out here and say, guess what, if I can do it, you can do it, as well.  I have a lot of compassion for people... we just try to come down here and show some love and tell them you, too, can qualify, not just for a job, but a career." 

Cong. Scott’s mission is to reduce the unemployment rate even more, even as the numbers of job seekers and jobs increase.

“I very affectionately refer to the jobs fair as doing God’s work.  Because, if you get somebody a job… getting them started, building wealth” and becoming self-sufficient, “that’s what’s so important.”

Those who missed the job fair can still see who's hiring by visiting Rep. Scott's website here.