A crowd of individuals flooded the Starkville Sportsplex Wednesday to meet with prospective employers during the Starkville Community Job Fair.
Around 20 employers from across the Golden Triangle set up booths during the job fair, which was sponsored by Express Employment Solutions and WCBI.
PACCAR Engines in Columbus was one of the employers set up at the job fair.
PACCAR Engines Area Human Resources Manager James Goodman, Jr. said PACCAR Engines regularly participates in local job fairs in Starkville, Columbus, East Mississippi Community College, Mississippi State University, University of Alabama and University of Mississippi, and jobs fairs are successful in helping the company find employees.
Goodman said currently PACCAR Engines is seeking skilled technical craft maintenance and machine specialists.
Goodman said both positions require a high school diploma, and technical craft maintenance requires mechanical, electrical, tool and dye, plumbing and welding training, and the machine specialist requires micrometer skills and the ability to read print diagrams.
"We are looking for someone who believes in coming to work on time, and is committed to their future," Goodman said.
4-County Electric was also one of the businesses with a booth set up at the Starkville Community Job Fair.
4-County Electric Training Coordinator Becky Canull said this was the first job fair she had participated in.
4-County Electric will be seeking a lineman apprentice in the next few weeks, according to Canull.
Canull said anyone interested in working for 4-County Electric can drop off their resume at their office and must be registered with the WIN Job Center.
Canull said for the apprenticeship, applicants must complete the six-month lineman from a local community college.
Canull said being a lineman is a dangerous job, but it is an open job market.
The Starkville Fire Department, Starkville Police Department and City of Starkville human resources department partnered together to create a booth at the job fair.
"Today there was a great turnout, and the city as a whole partnered together and saw a lot of interested candidates and received a lot of positive feedback," Starkville Police Department Public Information Officer Brandon Lovelady said.
Along with potential employers, East Mississippi Community College Manufacturing Technology and Engineering Division also set up a booth to allow attendees at the fair an opportunity to learn about EMCC's workforce training programs.
MI-BEST Student Navigator Jeremy Tate said EMCC offers education and workforce training, including WorkKeys, which is required by Yokohama Tire and many other manufacturing jobs.
Tate said after WorkKeys, the four-week commercial truck driving course and the medical courses in phlebotomy, certified nurse assistant and pharmacy technology are EMCC's most popular programs.
Tate said EMCC also offers the MI-BEST, or Mississippi Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training, a two-year program targeting primarily low income persons, high school dropouts and other non-traditional students to accelerate their transition from basic skills education to post-secondary education, ultimately leading to employment.
"MI-BEST allows individuals who need their high school equivalent to get that and other job skills training," Tate said.
For more information, visit EMCC's Mayhew campus at 8731 South Frongtage Rd., or call (662) 243-1976.
WBCI Event Sales Coordinator Veronica Lodge said another job fair will take place in August at the Trotter Center in Columbus.