Dexter Bar-B-Que settled in at the second ‘hiring event’ at Poplar Bluff High School with plans of spending the morning recruiting. The restaurant wound up filling its opening within the first 10 minutes, then was able to pack up and call it a day.
The future employee, Caitlin Cash, a senior in the Technical Career Center culinary arts program, was only one of several success stories earlier this month. Other students reportedly landed jobs at Briggs & Stratton, Gates Corporation and Lemonade House Grille, according to TCC Director Charles Kinsey, who noted that additional employers left with promising leads.
“There is a major labor shortage,” Kinsey commented. "It is our staff's opinion that if we're not actively looking for these opportunities to get our students in front of employers, we're not doing our job."
With that in mind, Kinsey helped found the TCC hiring event in 2019: a collaboration with PBHS to offer outgoing students heading straight to the job market an opportunity to submit their resumes to employers, plus a chance for the business community to fill entry-level positions.
"It's our twist on a career fair, the difference being that prospective employees can hire right on the spot," Kinsey continued. “We’re trying to create the conditions for connections to be made in career paths that are short-term, long-term or even lifelong.”
During the inaugural event three years ago, a participating student received a job offer for $21/hour at Nestle Purina in Bloomfield, recalled PBHS counselor Sara Woodard. The annual event returned on Wednesday, May 4, after being temporarily placed on hold in response to the pandemic.
“It’s a good way for kids with no work experience to try different career fields, as long as they show up and are dependable,” said Tracy Tarpley, district manager of Productive Staffing, a temporary staffing agency in Poplar Bluff.
In addition to the aforementioned employers, other companies represented included: Baker Implement Company, Cedargate, HealthPartners Management Group, The Manor, Mid-Continent Nail, Missouri Army National Guard, Revere Plastics Systems, and Southern Care and Comfort.
###
Cutline: Senior Desmond Howell goes over his resume with an official of Gates Corporation, a manufacturer in industrial park.