Workforce development partners hold first ever drive-thru job fair in Laurens County
02/12/2021
On Wednesday, February 10, Laurens County’s first ever drive-thru job fair was held at the Piedmont Technical College Center for Advanced Manufacturing (PTC CAM) in Laurens. Hosted by partner organizations Piedmont Technical College, SC Works Upper Savannah, and the Laurens County Development Corporation (LCDC), the job fair included five participating industries.
Job seekers were able to speak with company representatives from their vehicles, safely and distanced. Each attendee was encouraged to have at least five copies of their resume on-hand, which they presented at each station. The five companies participating were: Fibertex Nonwovens, Fukoku, International Paper, Milliken, and Walmart Distribution. Most positions offered were full-time and included shift production and supervisors, maintenance technicians, quality inspectors, machine operators, among others.
With firm Covid-19 restrictions and safety protocols in place within local businesses and industries, this drive-through job fair format created a cautious-yet-creative way to support and promote workforce development in our community. For this unique event, the PTC CAM had in place a very streamline and organized drive-through process in the back parking lot of the facility. Lanes and stations were separated by traffic cones and taped off to clearly indicate the proper flow of traffic for the event, and event staff, donning orange safety vests, helped to direct the job fair attendees to the proper lanes.
“Fibertex Nonwovens was honored to participant in Laurens County’s first drive-thru Job Fair this week,” said Gwen Seagraves, Human Resource Manager for Fibertex Nonwovens. “This opportunity allowed our company to not only speak with a diverse group of potential candidates, but also enabled us to speak to our business partners on best practices for recruiting and retention. The event was organized with good participation and great weather! We thank Piedmont Tech, SC Works, and the LCDC for organizing this event.”
Although there were several staff members from the three partnering organizations onsite working the event, there were several other supporters that helped behind the scenes in various capacities. PTC CAM, SC Works and LCDC are grateful to the following organizations and individuals for their contribution to the successful event: Laurens County Chamber of Commerce, Laurens County Public Works, Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, and Matt Wiggins with the SC Department of Commerce. Dan Blakely, Director of the PTC CAM adds, “Thank you to the agencies and companies involved for making our first drive-thru job fair a success. All of us working together ensures Laurens County’s future.”
