Job fair in Poplar Bluff brings more than a hundred seeking employment

Black River Coliseum job fair in Poplar Bluff
Published: May. 24, 2022 at 6:01 PM CDT

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. (KFVS) - More than a hundred people came out to the 2022 job fair and career expo at the Black River Coliseum in Poplar Bluff on Tuesday.

Roughly 60 area employers were on hand there as they were seeking to fill many open positions.

These positions range from several counties across the southeast Missouri area from jobs in healthcare, truck drivers, education and more.

We talked with several area business representatives. One of those we met up with provided a tractor-trailer simulation driving course with the opportunity to become a real truck driver. This is something we are told the area needs more of.

“Especially right now with the trucking industry the way that it is, there are jobs absolutely everywhere,” Three Rivers College CDL Instructor Ashley Fowler said. “So we like to be able to come out to places like this because we offer our classes, not just for this program but others, and we can typically get you funded through federal programs and such like that.”

Missouri Highlands Health Care representatives said they are trying to fill dozens of positions in their clinic settings across southeast Missouri.

“It’s very important because we serve 7 different counties in rural areas,” Missouri Highlands Health Care Recruiter Tasha Parks said. “Without our clinics being fully staffed, we can’t serve the community the best.”

“It’s very beneficial to meet people face-to-face. You get that 1-on-1 time. We can answer questions they might have right on site instead of waiting for a phone call or an interview,” Missouri Highlands Health Care HR Generalist Ceann Farley said. “It’s important we get our name out so people within the community know what we have available and the variety of services we offer.”

Representatives for the Missouri Department of Mental Health were on hand as well. They said they are looking for multiple people that are interested in helping those with mental health patients.

Missouri Department of Mental Health Direct Care Assistant Lisa Ledbetter said they are looking to hire as many people as they can and this venue is a great opportunity to meet people at.

“This is wonderful because the first impression, people want to know what your company is, the pay, the benefits that you offer and things like that,” “They want to speak to somebody that’s been there for many years, that kind of knows what the experience is.”

Job seekers we talked with said this was a great opportunity to see what’s out there and talk to company representatives directly.

“I saw the sign for the job fair and thought I would stop in and see what was available. I want to supplement my current job,” Melanie Weir said. “It gives everybody a chance to see what’s really out there without having to go several different places. Of course even online it’s sometimes hard to get into the websites.”

The job fair is sponsored by the Parents Working Committee which is made up of different community partners from the area.

Copyright 2022 KFVS. All rights reserved.