Cherokee Career Expo Connects Residents with Local Jobs
The Cherokee Office of Economic Development (COED), in partnership with the Georgia Department of Labor, will host the Sixth Annual Cherokee Career Expo on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. at the Northside Hospital Cherokee Conference Center. Since its launch in 2015, the expo has provided networking opportunities, resume review assistance, and career guidance to over 2,250 job seekers.
The Cherokee Career Expo is part of COED’s “Forget the Commute” campaign, an initiative aimed at helping residents find a job close to home so they can spend more time doing the things they love.
In 2019, Cherokee earned the top spot as the fastest-growing county in metro Atlanta for the second consecutive year in a row, according to a report by the Atlanta Regional Commission. The Cherokee Career Expo takes advantage of this growth by connecting Cherokee’s companies with top local talent and reducing Cherokee’s nearly 78 percent out-commute.
Last year, over 80% of the 410 job seekers who attended the career expo were Cherokee County residents, many of whom currently commute and are looking for a job in their home community.
Woodstock-based International Marble Industries (IMI) has experienced a positive track record of finding high-quality candidates at the Cherokee Career Expo, hiring current Vice President and Ball Ground resident Kathryn Perry in 2015.
“The Cherokee Career Expo turned out to be the launching pad for my dream job,” said Kathryn Perry. Since then, we’ve hired several top-tier candidates at the expo, including our current industrial engineer and logistics coordinator.”
To further raise awareness of local job opportunities, COED’s interactive careers page on cherokeega.org serves as an online clearinghouse for residents to search for local jobs and learn more about Cherokee-based companies. Since its launch, the page has received over 23,100 page views.
Joanna Scott moved to Canton from Vermont in September 2019 and credits cherokeega.org for helping her job search. “I love using the COED website,” said Joanna Scott. “It has been a fantastic tool for me as I search for employment opportunities and familiarize myself with Cherokee County – the place I now call home.”
The annual career expo will also feature services for U.S. military personnel and their families. Hire Heroes USA, an organization dedicated to helping U.S. military members, veterans, and military spouses succeed in the civilian workforce, will be onsite to provide information about their free, personalized employment services.
“COED continues to make tremendous progress toward matching local talent with Cherokee’s world-class industries,” said Marshall Day, Chairman of the Cherokee Office of Economic Development. “With careers ranging from corporate operations to advanced manufacturing, the Cherokee Career Expo offers something for everyone.”
For a full listing of job opportunities and participating companies, visit COED’s website at http://cherokeega.org/career-expo/.