Hattiesburg to host annual Student Job Fair on May 23

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - The City of Hattiesburg is preparing to host its annual job fair for local high school students ages 16 and up this month.

The Student Job Fair will be held on Monday, May 23, at the Ben McNair Community Center from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

High school students will have an opportunity to meet local employers who have immediate hiring needs for the summer and industries that could help create careers.

Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker says these summer jobs will also allow students to learn lifelong skills.

“We want kids to have opportunities. Everyone remembers their first job in high school. I worked two years at Burger King. And so, that experience shaped so much for me in terms of how to show up on time, how to be kind to people, how to be a part of a team. I think those kind of experiences help really prepare our young people go out in the world and do life,” said Mayor Barker.

According to Mayor Barker, 23 employers have already signed up to be at the job fair.

“We want our students to graduate from high school, we want them to hold a job for a year and we want them to know what the next step for themselves is, whether it’s the military, the workforce or college, and I hope the city plays a small role in connecting the needs of industry and small business with a lot of hungry young people who are ready to get out there and earn some money this summer,” said Barker.

Along with the local businesses that will be at the job fair, the following departments with the City of Hattiesburg will be on-site to talk about immediate hiring needs and future career opportunities:

• City of Hattiesburg Parks & Recreation
• City Hattiesburg Public Works
• Hattiesburg Fire Department
• Hattiesburg Police Department

“So many of our summer employees, they grow out of these summer employment roles and into careers that may stem from these programs. But they also grow to become mentor and role models to the up-and-coming students that will follow behind them. I know we have engineers, we’ve got doctors, we’ve got accountants that have all started right here at a summer job, and we encourage everyone to come out and apply for a job and have a great summer with the City of Hattiesburg,” said Ann Hones, Hattiesburg Chief Administrative Officer.

Businesses interested in being a part of the job fair can do so for free. To reserve a table, contact Betsy Mercier at 601-545-4501 or bmercier@hattiesburg.com.

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