In 2017, officials from the City of Hattiesburg began the task of creating a summer jobs program to connect high school students with local opportunities at local employers, with the aim of building the foundation of tomorrow’s workforce.
That initiative will continue with an upcoming job fair from 4-6 p.m. May 12 at the Jackie Dole Sherrill Community Center on West Front Street in downtown Hattiesburg. More than 15 vendors representing more than 20 restaurants and hotesl will be on hand to discuss possible careers with attendees over the age of 16.
Mayor Toby Barker announced the event on April 29 in front of Hattiesburg City Hall, along with Hattiesburg restaurateur Robert St. John and Edward Hargrove, the general manager of Pyro’s Fire Fresh Pizza on Hardy Street.
“We believe that giving a student an introduction to work not only occupies their time and creates income, but it also often gives skills that open doors of opportunity,” Barker said. “Our plan was to double our summer jobs program in 2020.
“But like so many, every plan we had for the last year was put on hold as we battled through the tough beginnings, the very hard middle, and what we hope to be the end of COVID-19 in our community. Our businesses are doing their best at serving residents and visitors safely, but many are still facing uphill battles like staffing, product supply and more. As our team began looking at the calendar to see how we could still connect our students to job opportunities over the summer in a post-COVID environment, we also looked at the same issue from the perspective of our restaurant and hospitality industries who need help with staffing.”
Participating employers include Hattiesburg Police Department, Hattiesburg Fire Department, Hattiesburg Parks & Recreation, Southbound Bagel, Blu Jazz Café, Nellie’s Chicken & Daiquiries, Walk-On’s, Holiday Inn/Burger Theory, Hotel Indigo, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, Mugshots Grill & Bar, Patio 44, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, New South Restaurant Group – including Midtowner, Ed’s Burger Joint, El Rayo and Crescent City Grill – Stoke’s Distributing and Pyro’s Pizza. While the job fair is aimed primarily at teenagers, the event is open to everyone seeking a job.
“There have always been hiring issues, but nothing like what we’re dealing with now,” said St. John, who has been in the restaurant industry for 40 years. “Being in a university town … we’ve always been blessed to be in a situation where we could hire A-plus candidates, and pick and choose.
“But hrough COVID, when there aren’t a lot of students at USM, and the fact that there’s still a lot of federal money coming in, we’re in a crisis mode (for hiring) all across town. It’s not just Hattiesburg and it’s not just Mississippi. With that being said, we’re very excited that the administration has taken a proactive approach with this job fair.”
For more information on the job fair, visit its Facebook event page at https://bit.ly/3tZB4LT.
In addition, Barker also announced Phase II of “The Hattiesburg Way.” That initiative, which started with Phase I in April 2020, asked all Hattiesburg restaurants and other businesses to make a commitment to serve the community safely.
The second phase of “The Hattiesburg Way” is asking several measures of Hub City residents, including supporting local, wearing masks when asked, being mindful of the financial challenges being faced by industries, and being patient and kind to staff at businesses. The initiative also challenges residents to tip well – 20% at the bare minimum – and to support the community by attending or giving away tickets to local shows and events.
“What’s most important is that we have fun,” Barker said. “Whether it’s the outdoor market or festival, Live at Five, the grand re-opening – have fun at all of it. We’ve been waiting to get back to these things for a long time, and now it’s time.”
