Career fair offers job opportunities for students

Hanceville, AL — Hundreds of people made their way around the indoor track of the Traditions Bank Arena inside Tom Drake Coliseum at Wallace State Community College where dozens of potential employers were set up for the Academic & Technical Career Fair hosted by the WSCC Center for Career and Workforce Development. The career fair is the first of two planned this week at the college. A Health Science Career Fair will be held Thursday, March 9, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Peinhardt Conference Center at the School of Nursing and Center for Science.

“We are very pleased with the turnout,” said Jamie Blackmon, Director of the Center for Career and Workforce Development. “We’ve seen several students set up interviews with numerous companies, which is great. That’s our goal, connecting our students with employers and helping them enter the workforce.”

One of those students who scheduled interviews is Diesel Technology student Rayshaun Bradley.

“I have two interviews set up,” Bradley said. “I have one for tomorrow and one for Thursday.”

Bradley said it’s helpful to meet with potential employers in person.

“You can really tell what the companies are about, and they can tell that you’re sincere, also,” he said.

Representatives from Samuel Associated Tube Group, including WSCC graduate Jacob Keisler, seated at left, discuss employment options at the company with visitors attending the Academic and Applied Technology Career Fair at Wallace State Community College Tuesday.

Jacob Keisler, who took up machining as a second career after music and recently graduated from the Wallace State Machine Tool Technology program, attended the career fair as a representative of Samuel Associated Tube. He attended last year’s job fair, where he was introduced to the Birmingham company and pursued a job there.

“I think these events are great,” Keisler said. “Wallace State has a great technical program and coming to an event like this is a great way to network and create relationships.”

It’s also a great way to learn about different companies and what they do, even if at first glance they may not seem to fit a student’s major.

“It’s a great place to learn what companies are around, learn what industries you can get into, and the behind-the-scenes aspects that make a product happen that you didn’t know that you could be a part of,” Keisler said.

For employers like Samuel Associated Tube Group, the fair is an opportunity to fill current and future positions within the company.

“We have a lot of different openings available right now such as welders, laser operators, CNC operators, tube mill operators,” said Vickie Thomas of Samuel Associated Tube Group. “So, there’s a lot of opportunities for employment and a lot of opportunity for growth.”

Samuel Associated Tube Group specializes in carbon tubing, and they make products such as handlebars for zero turn tractors, roll-over framing and furniture frames.

Employers attending Tuesday’s career fair included: Adtran, AES Incorporated, Alabama Credit Union , Alabama Department of Corrections, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Altec Ind., American Cast Iron Pipe Company, Ascension St. Vincent's, Birmingham Police Department, Blount County Sheriff's Office, Brasfield & Gorrie, CAPNA, Cerrowire, LLC., Cullman County Sheriff’s Office, DCH Health System, Decatur Police Department, Dixie Grinders, Inc., ERC, Federal Bureau of Prisons, First Federal Mortgage, Frogg Toggs, H&R Agri-Power, HH Technologies, Huntsville Police Department, Inland Buildings, Inline Electric Supply, Jupiter CNC Systems, KAMTEK, INC., My-Way Transportation Inc., Nextran Truck Center, Northwestern Mutual of Alabama , Nucor Steel, Orchid Orthopedic Solutions Alabama, Peach State Truck Center / Birmingham Freightliner , Penske Truck Leasing , Personnel Board of Jefferson County, Prince Metal Stampings, USA Inc., Progress Rail, RE Garrison Trucking, REHAU Inc., Revere Control Systems, RGNext, Royal Technologies, Rusken Packaging, Samuel Associated Tube Group, Schwarze Industries , Scott's Orchard, Southern Haulers, Southland Transportation Group, Inc., Steward Machine Company, Sybridge Technologies, Thompson Tractor, Truckworx, Inc., UAB Talent Acquisition, United Rentals Inc, United States Air Force, United States Army, University of North Alabama, Velocity Truck Center, Walmart Distribution Center , Webb Wheel Products Inc., Westrock, Wholesalecars.com, Wolverine Industries, Yorozu Automotive Alabama, Y-tec Keylex Toyotetsu Alabama (YKTA).

There are more than 30 employers scheduled to be at the Health Science Career Fair on Thursday. Employers planning to attend include: Ascension St. Vincent's, Barfield Health Care, BlueFish Medical, Bradford Health Services, Children's of Alabama, Cooper Green Mercy Health Services Authority, an Affiliate of UAB Health System, Crestwood Medical Center, Cullman Regional, DCH Health System, East Alabama Health, Encompass Health and Rehabilitation Hospital of North Alabama, Encompass Health, Lakeshore Rehabilitation Hospital, Federal Bureau of Prisons, First Federal Mortgage, Hanceville, Nursing & Rehab Center, Huntsville Fire & Rescue , Huntsville Hospital, Lakeland Community Hospital, Lawrence Medical Center , Marshall Medical Centers, McGuffey Healthcare and Rehab First, ProHealth Home Health and Hospice, Riverview Regional Medical Center, Select Specialty Hospital-Birmingham, Singing River Dentistry, Smile Partners USA, South Hampton Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, LLC, Southern Tennessee Regional Health System, The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing, UAB Callahan Eye, UAB Medicine, UAH - College of Nursing, United States Army, Wellstone, Inc., Woodland Village Healthcare

For more information about the career fair or about the Center for Career and Workforce Development, call 256.352.8356.

Priority registration for summer and fall semesters will begin April 3, with registration for all students on April 6. Summer 2023 classes begin May 24. Fall 2023 classes begin Aug. 18. For more information, visit www.wallacestate.edu, call 256.352.8000 or come by Lion Central in the lobby of the James C. Bailey Center Monday-Wednesday 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or Friday 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Representatives of First Federal Mortgage speak with visitors attending the Academic and Applied Technology Career Fair at Wallace State Community College Tuesday.