The first-ever county-wide hiring fair held in Rutherford County helped hundreds of job seekers connect with local employers to fill open positions.

More than 700 people attended the event organized by Rutherford Works, the economic and workforce development branch of the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce and the American Job Center Murfreesboro.

Held at Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro on August 29, the hiring expo offered 150 registered employers an opportunity to advertise over 5,000 open positions which ranged from entry-level to upper management.

Employers were thrilled to engage with local job seekers. Many reported that they spoke to at least 50 candidates with some reaching as many as 200 potential job seekers. “There was a surprisingly awesome turnout! We had an overwhelming response and interest in our positions,” stated Bailey McMahan from Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance.

Several employers have reported that they have between 10 and 20 potential candidates scheduled for follow-up tasks, and some employers were able to make hires on the spot. “We met candidates that wouldn’t have even thought about working in our business that showed interest,” added manager Joe Prewitt from Prairie Farms Dairy.

The event included jobs from across multiple industries including the county’s top five-high growth, high-demand sectors of advanced manufacturing, construction, health care, information technology and supply chain management. Educational institutions and skills training institutions were also present to help individuals who were interested in upskilling or expanding their aptitudes. “This event falls right in line with of our mission to bring businesses, educators and community members together to strengthen our workforce and close skills gaps,” expressed Rutherford Works VP of Education and Workforce Development, Beth Duffield.

“The mission of the American Job Center is to connect job seekers with employers. It was amazing to work with Rutherford Works to showcase the job opportunities that are available within the county during this hiring event,” beamed Marla Rye, Workforce Essentials president. “We’re happy there was such a great turnout of job seekers and employers together in one place making those beneficial face-to-face connections,” Duffield added.

Job seekers who were unable to attend the hiring expo can find the list of participating employers with links to their websites at rutherfordworks.com. Hiring event sponsors included Autocam Medical, Embassy Suites, Ingram Content Group, National Healthcare Corporation, and Team Electrical Contracting.

About the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce and Rutherford Works

The Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing leadership to help create the best possible place in which to operate business, while enhancing the region as a desirable place to live, work and visit, through a wide variety of programs and initiatives. Rutherford Works efforts focus on bringing businesses and education partners together to ensure a strong and diverse economy through education and workforce development.