McComb’s job market likely mirrors that of other communities across the country. Offer people good-paying jobs, and you can expect to see willing job-seekers turn out in droves.
That’s what happened during a job fair geared toward employment in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale oil formation held Thursday evening at the Martin Luther King Center in McComb.
Cars filled the center parking lot and overflowed alongside the road and in driveways as far as a mile away. A line of applicants wound around the inside of the center in a single-file line out into the street.
Just 30 minutes into the event, organizers ran out of complimentary bags they had brought for residents to hold pamphlets, brochures and job applications.
Fifteen minutes later, organizers counted 500 people had come, and with more than an hour left, this would not be the final count.
“This is amazing,” said Wendy Smith, director of the Workforce Training Center at Southwest Mississippi Community College. “We weren’t expecting this. It’s great.”
Joanna Henderson-Boss, director of the WIN Job Center, was equally impressed.
Industry personnel sought workers and gave organizers a good indication of what kind of skills will be necessary in the near future.
Throughout the night, a small crowd gathered in front of the booth of Newpark Drilling Fluids, which is bringing 40 jobs to Summit. In recent weeks, the company put out a call for workers, and at the fair, job-seekers seemed to know just where to go.
Summit Drilling also entertained a host of applicants.
Recruiters with the U.S. Army and Marines took advantage of the full room. FedEx also had a booth.
The KLLM Driving Academy and Southwest Workforce Training Center informed job-seekers of classes that assist residents in earning their commercial drviers license and other skills.
A shortage of truck drivers is expected to remain in the near future, due in large part to the oil play.
Job-seekers at the fair spanned the gamut. Some were looking for a job, some have jobs and are looking for something better, and others were seeking ways to acquire the skills to land a good-paying job.
“I’m looking for a job that pays well and offers health insurance,” said George Lewis. “I’m willing to work offshore, but I’d like to live and work here at home, in McComb.”
Lewis brought dozens of copies of his resume with him. Like many others, he dressed up in interview clothes for the fair. Anything to give him an edge.
“I plan to stick around after and talk to the employers. I want to make myself stick out,” he said.
Applicant Byrom Boudreaux said he is too young to get the license required for commercial driving, but said he wanted to get into the oil drilling industry. Boudreaux said he expects it to be somewhat similar to the logging industry, where he worked before.
Laver Jackson also sees promise in the oil drilling field as well. He, like many job-seekers, came to the fair specifically because of the TMS opportunities.
Wayne Sterling, executive director of the Pike County Economic Development District, said the fair will help the college and his organization determine what is needed from the community into the future.
“This gives us a great gauge to go on. The more the companies involved in the TMS attend fairs like this, the better we can provide the skills. It’s a win-win,” he said.
The development district and the college will hold another job fair 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the South Pike High School coliseum.
