Hundreds land airport jobs at recruitment event in Decatur

By Valerie Morgan

It was a good day for hundreds who attended a jobs fair on July 11 at New Life Christian Church in Decatur. Organizers said nearly 500 people were hired on the spot for jobs at Atlanta’s Hartsfield International Airport.

“They’ll be starting to work the first week in August,” said Sharon Dukes of Dukes Consulting Services, which worked with Morningstar Urban Development, Inc. to coordinate the jobs fair. “We are so pleased that we were able to help so many people in the community.”

People began arriving at 6 a.m., forming a line outside the building where the fair was held. More than 1,700 people attended the jobs fair, organizers said.

Dukes said drug and background tests were provided as part of the screening process during interviews at the Direct H.I.R.E. (Helping Individuals Re-Enter Employment) Project.

“We wanted to be able to hire people on the spot so that job seekers would not feel the frustration that often happens at traditional job fairs where they fill out an application and have to wait to find out if they actually landed a job,” Dukes said.

Dukes said the jobs included cabin cleaners for airplanes, transportation assistants to aid handicapped and elderly travelers, dispatchers and other lead positions. The entry level, full-time salaries range from $7.25 to $10 an hour and include a package of benefits and other incentives, she said.

About 28 volunteers supported the Direct H.I.R.E. project with participants from Congressman Hank Johnson’s office, BB&T Bank and New Life Christian Church.

“I really want to thank everyone who helped to make the jobs fair a success,” Dukes said. “BB&T provided water for the job candidates and lunch for our volunteers who were on site to help.”