LSU Shreveport drew dozens of employers to its campus yesterday for a job and internship fair. The fair was open to LSUS students and alumni. Student development assistant director SaraMargaret Mladenka said the career fair was a chance to showcase students and alumni in front of 69 exhibitors.
“We feel like we have a great product to offer, and so we’re really trying to show that to the community and the surrounding area. The employers really get a good chance to see what kind of great candidates this institution is producing," Mladenka said, outside the University Center Ballroom crammed full of exhibitors.
Lonnie Bolden graduated in May with a biology degree. He’s looking for work in a hospital or lab. He came to the career fair in a suit and tie, but didn’t find many options in his field. He’s found a challenging job market.
“I’ve applied to some positions and I haven’t really gotten any feedback. I started in late May and early June. It’s been kind of tough," Bolden said.
Exhibitor High Lifter Products designs and manufactures equipment for all-terrain vehicles. The company started in a Shreveport garage 16 years ago, and now has 36 employees. Product developer Charles Singleton said his company has immediate openings in sales and accounting, and seeks to add about six more positions in engineering and drafting. He said High Lifter found a pool of skilled labor in the demise of the area auto industry.
“With the closure of General Motors and some of the other big facilities in town, there are a lot of people out there that are looking for jobs. We’ve been fortunate to be able to pull some of those people in to come work for us," Singleton said.
Singleton said this career fair was the first time High Lifter has participated in a college recruiting event. Mladenka said companies from six states were at the event.