Martinsville High School hosts senior job fair ahead of graduation

Opening doors and opportunities — that’s the goal of the first-ever Martinsville High School senior job fair with graduation just a week away.

With the finish line in sight, over a hundred seniors are getting a head start on their futures, and for senior Mackenzie Hylton, talking face-to-face with employers gave her a sense of excitement for what the future holds.

“They have encouraged me to keep going and they have jobs available for me and women in general that definitely gives me hope that I’m right there at the door,” Hylton said.

There were a dozen booths representing various businesses and employers for the senior job fair, providing valuable resources for these soon-to-be graduates.

“The folks that you see here today are actively recruiting today, so maybe a kid who applies as we’ve talked with the employers, we want to know about the connections we made today and the job offers that they were able to make as a result of this event,” Brenell Thomas, President of the Martinsville and Henry County Chamber of Commerce said.

No matter if the student decides to go to a four-year college, community college, or right into the workforce. There was a booth for all.

“That’s what we are excited about, making that connection for our kids so that even if they are leaving the community, there are career opportunities that they can return home and make a lucrative of very significant contribution financially to their household, if they decide to come back home or if they decide never to leave,” Thomas said.

Some students were even able to apply for positions right at the booths.

For Brand Builders, a Martinsville small business, they are hopeful to find their next employees

“We have high hopes we have talked to multiple students that are about to graduate. We have multiple applications and we told them we would follow up on their references, but we do have high hopes for multiple of them,” Michelle Draper, office manager at Brand Builders said.