COOKEVILLE – Numerous local employers found members of their workforce at local high schools last week as 1300 high school students connected with 32 area employers at Cookeville, Monterey and Upperman High Schools.
In collaboration with Putnam County Schools, the Highlands Economic Partnership, a program of the Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce, hosted three job fairs to encourage high school students to prepare and apply for the workforce. There they were able to network with employers, share their resumes and learn more about potential employment paths available to them throughout the summer and post-graduation. Two schools from partner counties, Livingston Academy from Overton and Jackson County Schools were also able to attend the fairs due to the continued partnership between local county school systems.
Employers present were Cookeville Boat Dock, Silver Angels, Bright Ideas, Putnam County Parks and Recreation, Taco Bell, Holiday Inn, Dometic, Cookeville Fire Department, Pacesetters, Rogers Group, J&S Construction, CHC Mechanical, Twin Lakes, Hormann, IWC Food Service, Perdue Farms, Averitt, Digital Dream Force, TTI Floorcare, Academy Sports and Outdoors, CRMC, Metcom, Hutchison FTS, NHC Sparta and ABC INOAC.
A major sector of the Highlands Economic Partnership is Workforce Development. This sector promotes career exploration starting as early as fourth grade in efforts to create a well-trained, viable workforce for existing industry.