Walton Works’ Jami Cash, director of workforce development, and Dessa Morris, vice president of workforce development, presented the recent efforts of the organization to encourage growth and foster connections to local businesses at the recent membership luncheon of the Walton County Chamber of Commerce. Stephen Milligan | The Walton Tribune
Walton Works is the Development Authority of Walton County’s workforce development initiative, working with employers to connect them with the right employees and within schools to help students find jobs at local businesses and manufacturers.
Thursday last week, Dessa Morris, vice president of workforce development for DAWC, and Jami Cash, director of workforce development, presented the latest efforts of Walton Works to the Walton County Chamber of Commerce, including job fairs, student initiatives and more.
Cash said Walton Works exists to help bridge the gap between employer and prospective employee, as each searches for the best fit.
“The job market is scary and can be incredibly hard for some people,” Cash said. “Dessa loves to say we’re your workforce aunties helping you to get a job.”
Walton Works uses a variety of events and tools to make those conections, such as Workforce Wednesdays — monthly events in which job seekers are coached in how to punch up resumes, handle job interviews and dress for success while finding the right job — and the HR Roundtable, a gathering of major industry players in the area looking to coordiate to find qualifed job seekers for the right jobs.
Morris emphasized the upcoming Regional Job Fair, which will gather dozens of employers together at the Walton County Boys & Girls Club on March 25.
“The job fair is coming up later this month,” Morris said. “We’ll have great resources there, as well as many employers.”
Walton Works also partners with the Chamber on events such as the Career Connecions Expo each fall, which is pitched to high school students looking for the next step after graduation, whether that’s a job, military service or college.
“We saw over 720 students at our last Career Connections Expo,” Cash said.
And Walton Works has started offering a classs at Walton’s public high schools to prepare students for a job after graduation.
“Our Career Competence class is a second semester class for seniors who want to go straight into the workforce,” Morris said. “We offer forklift certifications and OSHA training. It’s been a real success.”
The Regional Job Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 25.
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