Goodwill holding job and resource fair in Columbia with focus on veterans

Officials from Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina will be hosting employers and community resource groups Tuesday in Columbia. The organization will be holding a job fair at its Hardscrabble location (111 Highland Center Dr.) to offer opportunities for job seekers to meet directly with a variety of companies regarding employment.

Goodwill officials will also be on-site hiring for retail store positions ranging from warehouse associate to store manager.

According to organization representatives, a particular focus of the job fair will be on veterans transitioning back to civilian life. Operation: GoodJobs, a program of GIUMSC, sees to help veterans in their journey to finding their next career, and to develop financial stability for themselves and their family. GIUMSC officials said there are currently more than 365,000 veterans living in South Carolina, with a veteran unemployment rate of 4.4%, and 6.9% currently living in poverty.

There will be private rooms available during the job and resource fair for immediate interviews with represented companies. Goodwill will also be providing information about its services ranging from career assessments to job training and credentialing programs.

“We are very excited to provide this opportunity in the Midlands of South Carolina. Our mission is to help individuals become independent through education and training leading to employment. To be able to provide this Job and Resource Fair for anyone in the area goes a long way in helping connect employers to job seekers,” said Gerry Partridge, Development Manager for Goodwill.

Some of the participating employers at Tuesday's event will include Richland School District One, AAFES, Goodwill, Allied Universal, BG Multi-Family, Palmetto State Armory and Hire Dynamics.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.