Fort Worth’s Morningside Middle School is taking the lead in trying to help family members in its community find jobs.
The school, in partnership with the Southeast Kingdom Neighborhood Association and the Fort Worth Housing Authority, is hosting a job fair, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., May 17 at the school, 2751 Mississippi.
The Housing Authority will hold two resume tutorial sessions, 1:30 p.m. May 8 at the Housing Authority, 1201 E. 13th St.; and 8:30 a.m. the morning of the job fair at the school.
Carlos Walker, who grew up in Morningside and became the school’s principal this year, moving from a post as vice principal at O.D. Wyatt High School, said 94 percent of his school’s 725 students are on free or reduced price lunch.
“We can’t do it all at the school anymore,” Walker said, of the idea to host a job fair. “We’re now in the 21st Century, and we have to change the way we do business.”
The team has been publicizing the job fair for the last few weeks, and has lined up 25 exhibitors so far, including the Navy and trucking companies looking for drivers, Walker said. The fair is free to job seekers and exhibitors, and Walker said he’s still seeking more exhibitors.
“Basically, anyone who will hire anybody with a high school diploma,” he said.
There are few job opportunities around Morningside, and jobseekers often tend not to venture very far looking for work, so the aim is to bring the jobs to them, Walker said.
The tutorials are also free. “We’ll help them with their resume and do a little coaching,” Glenn Nixon, job developer at the Housing Authority, said.