Job fair at Jackson Medical Mall connects jobseekers with employers and services

JACKSON — Dozens of jobseekers attended Clocked In, a free workforce expo at the Jackson Medical Mall on May 19 that aimed to connect employers, training programs and community organizations with people looking for work, organizers said.

Allison Palmer, 55, who said she lives in a women’s shelter, attended in hopes of finding steady work to support herself and her husband, who is staying in a men’s shelter. “I just want to be able to stand on my own two feet,” she said.

Maailyah Davis, 19, came with her mother and sister and said she has been looking for a job for about a month and already has an interview scheduled. Davis, who has a son, said she wants part-time work so she can “spend time with him but still have a job to make money for him,” and plans to return to school in the fall while working, she said.

Deep South Today, Mississippi Today and the Foundation for the Mid South hosted the event, organizers said. They said the expo was funded by a grant from the Foundation for the Mid South’s Moving Mississippians Forward Through Employment Initiative. Employers and nonprofit groups offered on-site applications, training information and other resources.

Edd Blake, coordinator of business outreach for MCA Powered by NeXT, said events like Clocked In help remove barriers to employment. “It’s all about access,” he said. Lindsay Stevens, regional manager at SURGE Staffing, said many people in central Mississippi lack the resources to apply for jobs or navigate employment services. Donte Jones, director of reentry at MAGCOR, said the expo helped raise awareness of programs for people who are currently and formerly incarcerated. “There’s a lot of programs and services out there to make sure that they get out and stay out and do well and become tax-paying, law-abiding citizens,” he said. Organizers also hosted live conversations about challenges facing Mississippi’s job market and economy, they said.

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