By Alison James

alison.james@fct.wpengine.com

Made in Franklin 2015 is this Wednesday, Nov. 4. The career expo is a valuable opportunity for students, of course, but event coordinators are also optimistic about the benefits to the public with the premiere of the job fair component.

Open to the public, the job fair and open house will connect job seekers with employers who need to augment their highly skilled work forces.

“Jobs are available in Franklin County,” said Mitch Mays, Franklin County Development Authority executive director. “Our unemployment is the lowest in northwest Alabama.” He encouraged everyone to come to the open house portion of the event. “We have some great companies in Franklin County … not only are they good corporate citizens, but they employ thousands of Franklin County citizens.”

Last year, 13 industries participated in Made in Franklin, according to Franklin County Development Authority Assistant Director Sherye Price. This year, 29 booths will be set up, including manufacturing and industry, education, healthcare and a bank.

“I’m hoping for a good turnout,” Price said. “It’s just a job fair that allows people who are looking for a job or a better job go in and talk to the HR managers and industry leaders … Most applicants don’t get that opportunity – You never get to talk to anyone who does the actual hiring.”

Price said most if not all industries at the job fair will be accepting applications, although some might not be actively hiring at this time.

With Northwest-Shoals Community College also having a presence at the event, Price said the job fair will be a good opportunity for those interested in beginning to pursue a different field or in furthering their education to get information along those lines. The local college can provide information about training for a number of fields, including healthcare, welding, accounting, computer information systems, business administration and injection molding.

The open-to-the-public portion of Made in Franklin will be held Nov. 4 from 4-6 p.m. During this time, the Alabama Career Center will be available to assist with resume and interview tips. In addition to sharing information with job-seekers, the job fair will also give the community a chance just to understand an appreciate the products and services offered by Franklin County’s many industries.

“Even people who have lived here for years have no idea what some of these industries do,” Price said.

Price offered a special thanks to all participants and sponsors that have made it possible to provide a T-shirt to each student and teacher attending the expo.

For more information, email sprice@franklineda.com or call 256-332-8726.