By Joel Hall
Clayton News Daily
For the third year in a row, Congressman David Scott (D-GA) will host the 13th Congressional District Jobs Fair at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park.
The event will take place Friday, May 11, from 10 a.m., to 4 p.m.
Last year, more than 200 employers and 9,000 job seekers attended, and more than 1,005 people gained employment as a result.
The fair has been billed as the largest job fair in the state of Georgia, according to the Georgia Labor Department.
This year’s fair will include new employers, such as CSX and Norfolk Southern Railroads. CSX, will be retiring many of its employees in the next few years, and is seeking to hire for 1,600 positions nationwide, according to Kimberly Waller, a spokesperson for CSX.
Past employers, such as Delta Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration, are expected to play a much larger role than last year, with Delta coming out of bankruptcy and seeking to expand, while the FAA is currently seeking to hire and train several hundred air traffic controllers to meet a growing need in the Southeast.
Scott believes the fair will help increase economic activity throughout the 13th Congressional district, but particularly in Clayton County. “It’s so important now, because we’ve lost some manufactures,” he said. “We’ve lost the Ford Motor Plant ... Fort Gillem is closing.
“The unemployment rate in Clayton County is about 5 or 6 percent,” Scott said. “It’s a little higher than the national average. We want people to know that one of the biggest needs is to make sure that our community is working,” he said.
He said that achieving a higher employment rate would bring down crime rates, ease frustration levels, and allow people to start affording better health care. Scott also said he sees the job fair as a way to use political power to gain economic power for constituents of the 13th Congressional District.
“This is a capitalistic system. There is nobody out there to take care of you. You have to have a way to make money,” said Scott. “We want to help constituents, who are unemployed or looking for additional growth opportunities. There are plenty of job opportunities, if people are willing to discipline themselves and focus themselves.”
Scott said that, last year, some businesses, such as Lockheed Martin and WellStar Health System, hired several people on the spot, after a on-site interviews.
Waller, who will be operating the booth for CSX, advised job seekers to be well-dressed and honest. While she said that experience wasn’t always necessary, a steady job history is important. “Be a specific as possible as far as qualifications,” she said. “We’re always looking for people who are willing to work hard and are dedicated.”
Job seekers are advised to bring copies of their resume for on-the-spot interviews. Parking at the Georgia International Convention Center will be $1 for attendees. For a full list of the participating employers, visit: www.davidscott.house.gov.
