HCC Holds Reverse Job Fair for Nursing Assistants

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Last updated:Monday, Mar 15, 2010 at 12:47 PM Posted:Monday, Mar 01, 2010 at 06:03 AM

“I learned how to present myself and my qualifications,” said Manda Franklin, taking a breath after being interviewed by four potential employers located in Haywood County. Franklin had arranged her many certifications and documents of qualification on a table where prospective employers had sat for impromptu interviews with her at the recent Haywood Community College Reverse Job Fair for Nursing Assistants.

Reverse Job Fair is a new way to match job-seekers to employers. The job-seeker sits at a table displaying his or her resume, certifications, and letters of recommendation. Employers are invited to circulate, then sit and talk with the job-seekers.

At the fair, Franklin received several job offers, and can decide which one best fits her career plan and her personal life.

Franklin is one of the graduates of HCC’s JobsNOW Nursing Assistant course. In addition to medical skills, she and her classmates acquired certifications in WorkPlace Readiness  (patient communications and career professionalism), and the nationally-recognized Career Readiness Certification, which measures achievement in math, reading, locating information, listening, and teamwork.

During the Job Fair, Lisa Leatherwood, of Silver Bluff Village, commented: “I have a tall stack of resumes on my desk and I need to fill a few jobs. But it takes time to go through all those resumes. When I heard about this event, I thought, “I’ll just go and see the applicants in person, and perhaps fill all my jobs in just one hour. It strikes me as an efficient way for both ‘sides’ to meet and fulfill their needs.”

Governor Bev Purdue’s JobsNOW “12 in 6” initiative emphasizes helping people find jobs as well as train for jobs. JobsNOW is funded under the Workforce Investment Act through funds made available by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

For more information, please call 828-627-4628.

Ecna_10 Pictured left to right are graduates of HCC’s JobsNOW Nursing Assistant course: Court Maggard, Lisa Mann, Kimberly Galli-Coe, Bodie Acosta, Phoebe Pace, Brittny Wright, Dusty Forney, and Manda Franklin. In addition to medical skills, these students acquired certifications in WorkPlace Readiness and the nationally-recognized Career Readiness Certification.