Representatives from educational institutions and metro Augusta businesses, and nonprofit organizations came together for the 2025 Best and Brightest Career and College Expo.
Organized by Augusta Business Daily with presenting sponsors Spherion Staffing and Recruiting and Augusta University’s Hull College of Business, it was held in the Snelling Center at the Goodwill of Middle Georgia and the CSRA campus on Washington Road.
While the primary goal was to help individuals seeking employment, it also gave participating vendors the opportunity to explain how they can assist prospective job seekers.
Melanie McGee, Enrollment Coordinator with Troy University, said this is a way to show people what the university can offer in terms of pre-employment education and training.
She said participating in the Expo was also helpful to learn from employers what they need in a prospective employee.
“This is a great event, because you do get to see other vendors in the community, what they’re offering, as far as positions, and also how we may fit in, where there may be a program or something that you may not have the education or the courses needed for a position,” she explained. “So, if you needed something in business, or take some human resource classes, or some counseling to get that licensure, you’re trying to get to work at a mental health facility. So, it kind of works hand in hand.”
With the Expo next door to her office in Goodwill’s Job Connection, Lacherrie Gary used the opportunity to collect information to share with their clients and students.
“I am learning that these employers are here to help the Augusta community, and as a result of me coming in here, talking with them and getting general information, we’re helping our students, we’re helping our unemployed,” she said. “We’re here at the Goodwill Job Connection in the Snelling Center, to help everybody that’s looking for work, or maybe to find something different and a different career path.”
Sometimes, that career path may not be obvious.
Staff from Augusta’s Hull Barrett Law Firm were on hand to answer questions about employment. Kimberley Barker, Director of Marketing, said participating in expos and jobs fairs can be particularly advantageous for the firm needing to fill key, but non-attorney, positions.
“We have IT, we have several administrative positions,” said Barker. “We have paralegal positions. We have what we call runners, which we constantly need, because we have three locations. We’re in downtown Augusta, we have an office in Evans, and we’re also in downtown Aiken. And so, we need qualified runners that will come and take legal documents to the courthouse, from office to office. We also need receptionists, so there are other opportunities outside of being an attorney.”
Both Barker and Gary said attending career expos and job fairs can open doors for people seeking employment.
Vendors participating in this Expo were:
- Augusta Iron & Steel Works, LLC
- Augusta University
- Aurubis Richmond
- Christ Community Health
- Crosslink Consulting
- Gary Freeman Insurance
- Georgia Power
- Hull Barrett Law Firm
- Hull College of Business
- Human Technologies (HTI)
- Spherion Staffing
- Tri-Development Center
- Troy University
- USC—Darla Moore School of Business
