Winston County Journal

Job-seekers from Winston County and beyond had a chance to search for the right job Tuesday when the Louisville Area Job Fair kicked off at Lake Tiak-O'Khata at 9 a.m. With more than 33 employers in attendance, the event offered several options for potential employees.

This marked the third year of existence for the Louisville Area Job Fair, sponsered by the Governor's Job Fair Network and the Economic Development Partnership of Winston County,

Employers in attendance included Ace Training Center, Federal Correctional Institution (Yazoo City), the Mississippi Department of Education Mississippi Teacher Center Project, the Mississippi Hospital Association, Mississippi Lignite Mining Company, the New Orleans Police Department, Northeast Mississippi Coca-Cola, Outdoor Technologies Inc., Parker and Associates, Plymouth Tube Company, Primerica, Renal Care Group and the Mississippi Small Business Development Center at MSU, Canal Barge Company Inc., the Mississippi Department of Human Services, Nissan North America, the Mississippi Army National Guard and the Mississippi State Personnel Board.

"We expected this to be an excellent opportunity for employers to meet the employment needs of their companies, and hopefully it was," Joe Buckner, executive advisor of the Governor's Job Fair Network, said. "More than 900 job applicants attended this job fair last year with employers making more than 400 job offers. We're still waiting on figures for this year's fair, but we feel it was a success. This event was open to job seekers from the general public as well as university, college and community college graduates. In addition, we are continuing our efforts to attract military service members and spouses from military installations in Mississippi and throughout the United States."

The 2002 Louisville Area Job Fair hosted 33 employers.

The event, sponsored by the Governor's Job Fair Network, the Mississippi Development Authority and the Mississippi Employment Security Commission, was co-sponsored by the Winston County Economic Development District, the Louisville/Winston County Chamber of Commerce, the City of Louisville, the Town of Noxapater, the Winston County Board of Supervisors, the Small Business Development Center at Mississippi State University, East Central Community College, the Win Job Center, Star 107 and the Winston County Journal.

Employers interested in sponsoring booths and job-seekers interested in learning more about upcoming job fairs can visit the Governor's Job Fair Network Web site at www.jobfairs.ms.gov. Employers can also register to appear at the job fair through the Web site.

For more information on the Governor's Job Fair Network, contact Buckner at (601) 961-7507 or Frank Riley at (601) 961-7454 .