Sep. 29—CANNONSBURG — A first-of-its-kind job fair is coming to the Tri-State.

JobJam 2022 will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 8 at Camp Landing.

The free event offers opportunities to a wide range of people, from employers who are welcome to set up information booths to job seekers to children interested in starting a business.

The event is the brainchild of Renee Parsons, executive director at Central Job Bank and Opportunity Center in Ashland, who said she hopes the job jam will become a national event.

"I want to take the FIVCO area and make it the place to be to change your job," Parsons said.

She said "everything" will be available at this event, from employers who will hire on the spot to how those seeking jobs can access other resources, such as housing, food and training for jobs, to "adulting" tasks such as changing a tire or sewing on a button.

For example, one local television station will have a booth and is looking to hire an anchor via live auditions at the job jam. But companies from along the East coast may attend.

"Those kinds of opportunities are not every day, and this is not your everyday job fair," Parsons said. "You can walk in jobless and have a job to go to Monday."

Those seeking jobs should bring their resume to the event, she said.

Space for booths is still available; those wishing to have a booth may preregister by calling (606) 315-4945. Setup will be from 6 to 11 p.m. Oct. 7 and from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 8.

The job jam will feature Acton Children's Business Fair, which was started in 2007 by a couple who wanted to encourage an interest in entrepreneurship in their children. The first was in Austin, Texas, and has since grown into the nonprofit Acton Academy for young entrepreneurs around the world.

Children with a business may set up at the fair and sell their wares, but potential investors will have the opportunity to learn about the business and perhaps get involved. Parsons said Jason Camp, who donated the back area of Camp Landing for JobJam, plans to walk around the area to see if he can find a business to invest in.

As a first-of-its-kind event, JobJam could be the model for future events across the country, Parsons said.

The event, a product of Central Job Bank and Opportunity Center and the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association, is getting national attention. The U.S. Labor Department is promoting the event and the NDASA posts a link on its webpage; other similar job fairs are being considered, too.

"How this one goes dictates who this will go in California and Colorado," Parsons said. "This puts eastern Kentucky and Appalachia on the map."

Part of the event aims to help those with "difficult backgrounds" get back to work. That includes anyone who has struggled with drug addition or a criminal background who have committed to recovery. She noted 94% who serve time in prison are released and will need a job.

"It's really just caring for your neighbor and helping people have connections," she said.

Through NDASA, Parsons chairs a committee to look at how to protect employers who are willing to hire people in recovery.

"A lot of companies are gun-shy about hiring and working with those in recovery," Parsons said.

Evolving marijuana laws pose challenges for businesses, and that will be addressed, too.

"Many companies have had a zero-tolerance policy for marijuana, but as marijuana is becoming legal, we train people to talk to major employers about what happens when it becomes legal, especially with truck drivers, pipeline workers," she said.

Another unusual aspect of the JobJam is its 1980s theme.

Parsons, an admitted fan of the 1980s, said the theme is popular with young people and said she thought it would add an element of fun, especially with a 1980s costume contest, a scavenger hunt and an auto display by the DeLorean Club of Ohio.

While plenty of fun activities will be available, the main focus of JobJam is to help individuals get back to work, Parsons said.

"This is what economic development looks like," she said. "Appalachia needs this. Nobody will get it the first year, but once they see it, they will understand it. It's the burst of fire our area needs."

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