Annual job fair highlights demand for workers - The News Herald
PANAMA CITY — After exiting the U.S. Marine Corps last fall, Bay County resident Matthew Gallet is now seeking new career opportunities.
Gallet, a former MV-22 Osprey crew chief, was one of hundreds of job seekers who attended the annual Bay County Job Fair at Haney Technical Center Friday, which offered 82 booths of employers seeking to hire.
After seeking help from the CareerSource Gulf Coast's Veteran's Center booth, Gallet said he was eager to find out what the job fair had to offer.
"I'm actually here searching for something in aviation," said Gallet, who has his sights set on buying a house in the near future. "I'm employed, but I'm trying to find something higher."
Job fair organizer Kimberly Drayton, a career specialist at Haney, said the event drew more employers this year than it ever has before, highlighting the need for workers in the area.
The job fair is hosted through a partnership with Haney, CareerSource Gulf Coast, Tyndall Air Force Base's Airman & Family Readiness Center, and Naval Support Activity Panama City's Fleet & Family Support Center.
"There's a huge demand; there are so many jobs," said Drayton, who has organized the event for the past three years. "We have a lot of new employers here, which is exciting. They're all looking ... they need the help."
Drayton also noted the wide range of employment opportunities presented at the fair, from manufacturing positions at companies like Eastern Shipbuilding, to entry-level fast food positions, to positions at new-to-the-area startups like Uber Technologies.
"We have entry level all the way up to executive positions," Drayton said. "If you want a job, you can find it here. I really think you can."
For Jamie Clements, general manager at Whataburger in Panama City Beach, the job fair offered the opportunity to find staff members in anticipation of Spring Break.
"For Spring Break, we're understaffed because I'm on the beach," Clements said. "We're just looking for some new team members. We're hiring at both locations, the beach and Lynn Haven."
Representatives from Alegis Revenue Group used the job fair as an opportunity to collect resumes and also get the word out about what they do as a new company at Bay Medical Center Sacred Heart Health System.
Dana Robinson, team lead at Bay Medical, said the company soon will be seeking employees with financial or medical backgrounds, but is also willing to train new workers.
"We are basically advocates for the patients that don't have insurance," Robinson said. "We help with the Medicaid and disability process."
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