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By JOYANNA LOVE | Managing Editor

Local high students and members of the community looking for their next career move will have the opportunity to connect with employers during a career and recruitment event on March 23.

Hosted by the city of Clanton, this second annual event is a partnership with Chilton County Schools and local industry leaders.

“You have got to have a relationship with key stake holders on something like this,” Clanton Chief of Staff Bob Woods said.

Students in 11th and 12th grade will be taken to the career and recruitment event, which is being held on the Jefferson State Community College campus, from 8-10 a.m. The general public will then be welcome to attend from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. A variety of employers will be set up inside and outside the building. Heavy equipment companies will be onsite with their equipment. Some companies may be doing immediate hires.

Details of the event were shared with industry leaders during a meeting on Feb. 13.

“It is about workforce development, providing opportunities for our young people,” Woods said.

He said the partnerships are going to continue to grow to “connect the needs of the employers to available work force.”

Local businessman Allen Payton said, at last year’s event, his company recruited a summer intern, who has now graduated from high school and is working full-time for the company.

“The folks that I talked to in our industry said this was the best job fair they ever attended,” Payton said.

Debbie Street, executive assistant to the mayor, said the event will be set up the same as last year. She told industry leaders that she just needed to know how many tables any other specific accommodations they would need to be set up ahead of time.

“This is not just a career day,” Street said. “… It is all about placement, finding those jobs and making those things happen.”

Companies interested in participating can contact Street at dstreet@clantonal.gov.

A rain date has been set for March 24.

Mayor Jeff Mims said there is also the potential for March 24 to be a second day of the event, if employers are interested in being there for two days.