By Sarah Malan
Selma Times-Journal

In a time where finding employment opportunities can be difficult, U.S. Rep. Terri A. Sewell (D-Ala) has partnered with Wallace Community College-Selma to provide Black Belt residents with both job readiness training and employment opportunities.

Through the second annual congressional job fair and pre-job fair readiness workshops, Sewell and Wallace hope to improve employment chances in Selma and surrounding communities.

“This is a commitment on my office’s part to do our very best to address the unemployment issues in our district. Our district is vast, and it [consists of both] urban and rural areas, so we decided we would alternate [between the two],” Sewell said. “Last year the job fair was held in Birmingham, and this year we decided to hold our first Black Belt job fair in what we hope becomes an annual event.”

The pre-job fair readiness workshops — held Monday, July 22 through Wednesday, July 24 — are an effort to provide citizens with every possible advantage in the job market.

“Anything we can do to improve the chances of people finding employment in my district is a positive thing. I am honored that Wallace Community College is willing to partner with us to promote job readiness,” Sewell said.

Those who attend the workshop will receive assistance with job preparation skills, including assistance with resume preparation and interview skills.

Workshop sessions will be held at the Wallace campus from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, July 22; from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 23; and from 9 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday July 24.

These workshops precede the second annual congressional job fair, which will also be held on the Wallace campus on Wednesday, Aug. 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sewell encourages residents to take advantage of the workshops and job fair.

Both the workshops and job fair are free to attend. For more information, contact Sewell’s Selma district office at 877-4414.