Local workers in high demand
Apr. 17—With employers around Cullman County in need of workers, several local agencies have joined together to sponsor a job fair set for Saturday, April 24 at the Donald E. Green Senior Center, located at 1625 Cleveland Avenue SW in Cullman.
The fair will take place from 8 a.m. to noon.
Employers in Cullman County, like in many other places across the United States, are having a hard time finding new workers as industries are looking to ramp up production in 2021, said Cullman Economic Development Agency Retail & Workforce Development Manager Susan Eller.
There are also more subsidies and government assistance programs available right now, so businesses are having to encourage people to return to the workforce, she said.
Eller said the job fair is meant to gather many of those employers in one place to let job-seekers get a good look at the opportunities that are available in the area.
"We're just trying to give them opportunities to promote their jobs," she said.
The increased competition between companies who are looking for workers also means that potential employees should be seeing competitive wages for the jobs that are available, Eller said.
Some of the local companies that will be present at the fair include REHAU, Walmart Distribution, Topre, NAFCO, Reliance Worldwide, AGCOR Steel, HHT Technologies, HomTex and Rusken Packaging. There are 17 businesses that are set to be at the fair, and there may be one or two more added in the coming week, Eller said.
Normally, the job fairs bring in around 10 businesses, but the need for employees right now has made this the biggest one the city has hosted, she said.
"It's more than we've ever had in the past," Eller said.
Representatives from the Alabama Career Center will also be on hand to help job seekers, and Wallace State Community College will have a booth to show the opportunities available for those who may be looking for training for any particular job.
"It's more than we've ever had in the past," Eller said.
With the demand for workers so high, some of the employers are also willing to hire people to be trained on-site as long as they find steady employees, she said.
"They can train you as long as they have people who will show up," she said.
She said the job fair also serves as a good opportunity for residents who already have jobs in the Birmingham or Huntsville areas but may be looking to work a little closer to home.
Some of the employers will also have representatives from their Human Resources departments available for a face-to-face meeting, and some will be conducting interviews at the fair, so anyone who attends should make sure they have their résumés in hand and dress appropriately, Eller said.
COVID-19 procedures will be followed for the job fair, with masks required and temperatures taken before entry, and the number of people allowed inside the senior center may be limited if the crowd gets too big, Eller said.
More information about the job fair can be found at the Cullman Careers: Live Events Facebook page.
