Arnold Community Council, Bowling announce Job Fair July 16

  • Published
  • By Kathy Gattis
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  Arnold Community Council (ACC) and Tennessee Senator Janice Bowling are partnering to host a free, regional job fair July 16 at the Manchester-Coffee County Conference Center.

The event begins at 9 a.m. with the state of Tennessee's Career Coach on hand to assist unemployed or underemployed individuals. The state provides computers so job seekers can update or create resumes on-site.

For those who want to meet prospective employers, exhibits will open at 10 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m.

The event is free for attendees and exhibitors. Exhibitors should register for booth space at www.arnoldcommunitycouncil.com. Job seekers are also asked to register at the same address.

The idea for a job fair was developed initially as a way to help ATA employees who were reduced-in-force and furloughed government civilians.

"We began talking with Col. Toth to discuss how Arnold Community Council and local communities could assist Arnold (AEDC) if full sequestration was implemented," ACC President Steve Cope said.

"The government civilian workforce is affected with furloughs of one day per week (a 20 percent reduction in pay) and the ATA workforce was affected in a different way with layoffs (in April)," he said. "We discussed options for assistance and offered to include the communities as a whole since we have others in similar positions," said Cope.

"Many people in surrounding communities are unemployed or underemployed and can take advantage of the offerings by the local communities that get involved."

Though the impact to AEDC was reduced because of changes in test workload and fewer furlough days, Cope and Bowling say the regional job fair is needed.

"There are many civil servants and military contract employees in our communities that have been affected by Department of Defense cuts," said Bowling. "We want to bring together all the resources available to help them and other citizens who are unemployed or underemployed get the assistance they need."

Cope said the ACC appreciates Senator Bowling's assistance in making this event a reality.

Arnold Community Council was established in 2000 to promote, protect and preserve AEDC and to facilitate interaction and cooperation between the Complex and surrounding communities.