Gainesville job fair draws big numbers

GAINESVILLE - People looking for work filled up parking places and filled out job applications for 91 potential employers Thursday afternoon at the Georgia Mountains Career and Resource Expo at the Georgia Mountains Center in downtown Gainesville.

Georgia Department of Labor employment and training consultant Mel Wages said they were waiting for the job fair to open.

"We did a count when we opened the doors at 1:00 o'clock and we had 2,000 people here when we opened the doors," Wages said.

Wages said expected that number to top 3,000. He said the Expo and job fair also offered resume assistance and other employment services including 40 computers for filing online applications. The Labor Department and the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce hosted the job fair along with the Gainesville Area Employer Committee.

Chamber Vice President Robyn Lynch said she was expecting a big turnout with the number of employers at the event.

"It's exciting, there are jobs available in Hall County and now is a great time to be looking for work," Lynch said "We have great employers with great benefits and hours."

Dianne Grindle from Gainesville said she was hoping for work in customer service or medical care.

"It's been relatively hard," she said. "It just depends on your skills and what you're looking for and I'm hoping to find a good job."

http://accesswdun.com/article/2010/8/231590