Deatsville – Employers from across the state were on the main campus of J. F. Ingram State Technical College Thursday, November 14, 2019 to participate in the College’s semi-annual Job and Resource Fair.

“We linked 211 students with over 30 employers and community resource organizations,” said ISTC re-entry coordinator Rick Vest. “This was our fourth year to offer students access to resources in a job fair setting, and the event has grown each year.” 

A member of the Alabama Community College System, ISTC serves incarcerated students exclusively. ISTC president Annette Funderburk said one of the highlights of the resource fair is for students to hear employers express an interest in hiring them. “We tell our students that if they have the right skills and a good work ethic, employers will give them a chance,” said Funderburk, “but nothing we say has the same impact as hearing directly from the employer.”

One of those employers at the resource fair willing to give ISTC graduates a second chance was MidSouth Paving. Human resources manager Doris Tolliver, said the company, which has several locations throughout Alabama, was hoping to identify job candidates at the event. 

In addition to employers, representatives of state agencies and non-profit organizations answered questions and provided information about resources available to graduates after their release. “The resource fair benefits our students on many levels” said Vest. “Not only are they gathering information about jobs, they can interact with our community resources partners to get information about housing, transportation and related services.”

Vest said the event was open to currently enrolled students as well as those graduates who were approaching release from incarceration.