Nineteen businesses received applications from more than 250 job seekers last Thursday at a Job Fair hosted by the South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS), the S.C. Employment Security Commission, Northeastern Technical College (NETC) and the Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority (PDRTA).

John Timmons, program director of Work Force Development for DSS, said he felt the job fair held at the Cheraw Community Center was a success.

"It's a rarity to get as many compliments (about hosting a job fair) as we have," Timmons said. "We've been approached and thanked by both the employers and the job seekers."

Timmons said attendance for the job fair was helped by PDRTA's agreement to provide free roundtrip transportation from all over Dillon, Marlboro and Chesterfield counties. PDRTA will also be providing round trips free of charge to another job fair in Florence on Oct. 4. However, none of the PDRTA pickups are in Chesterfield County.

The Florence job fair will be sponsored again by DSS, the S.C. Employment Security Commission, NETC and the PDRTA.

Admission to the event is free to employers and job seekers.

Employers will be taking applications and resumes while sharing employment information with job seekers.

Employers interested in attending may send an e-mail to: jtimmons@dss.state.sc.us.

Leighton Bell may be reached at leightonbell@thecherawchronicle.com.