THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WTXL) — Local manufacturers need skilled workers, but many job seekers struggle to get a foot in the door.
- Nearly 400 manufacturing jobs are available in fields like welding, assembly, truck driving, and quality control across South Georgia.
- Employers struggle to fill positions due to a disconnect with online applications, emphasizing the importance of networking, career fairs, and personal connections.
- Watch the video to see why manufacturing jobs are a lifeline for rural workers and where the gaps exist.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
In rural Georgia, families are feeling the crunch, hundreds of applications sent, but almost no responses back.
I'm taking a closer look at the disconnect between employers who need help and neighbors who say they can't get a call back.
SOT / JOEL ALEXIS / Workforce Development Manager
"So a lot of times, the employers will post a job and it's just a system," said Southern Regional Technical College Workforce Development Manager Joel Alexis. "And then the job seekers, they'll go apply to a lot of jobs. And especially with the abundance of AI now, sometimes as a job seeker, you can just go to a website and apply to 1,000 jobs in five minutes, but you're not actually putting any information in there."
Alexis helps organize job fairs and training programs like this one, and he says the key for job seekers is to find ways to stand out and make a real connection with employers.
" I guess that applying for jobs now has become different. You know, everything's online. You're not really talking to a person. You're not able to get a foot in the door," said Wilford.
William Wilford, a Georgia Tech graduate, has over 20 years of experience yet he's been applying for months with little response.
" A hundred or two, probably. I mean, pretty much anything that might be related to anything that I've previously done, even in retail, manufacturing, engineering. So it's been difficult with that, having that, having study work for a number of years and still just getting no response," said Wilford.
Joel says that instead of just applying online, attend networking events and talk directly to employers at career fairs.
Many of the jobs available aren't listed online or publicly advertised yet and are more accessible to people who make personal connections with hiring managers.
At this job fair, nearly 400 positions are up for grabs across Thomasville and surrounding South Georgia communities.
"There was a study done that said that 80% of the jobs that are currently available are not yet posted anywhere," said Alexis.
For many in rural Georgia, manufacturing jobs can be a lifeline
especially for people with less formal education because these positions often pay well and provide stable work.
Even for those jobs, there's a disconnect or a gap
"Manufacturing jobs now are looking for people that want to stay. There's a lot of resumes that will come in where you've seen them. They've had multiple jobs and they've been at jobs for less than a year," said Guy Crawford.
Crawford, who runs Firedex, a company that makes firefighter turnout gear in Pelham, says he's looking for workers willing to commit long-term.
His company will train from the ground up, but like many in manufacturing, they want someone ready to stay.
If you're job hunting in rural Georgia, the Georgia Department of Labor's virtual agent can help you find openings and career resources across the state at this number 877-709-8185.
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