LUMBERTON — The Southeast Re-entry Council job fair that was postponed Tuesday will be rescheduled as soon as possible, the director of the program said Wednesday, and another one is set for next month in Red Springs.

According to David Powell, Tuesday’s event was postponed after the solar company CLP, which was expected to offer the most jobs, decided not to participate.

“The company told us they are behind schedule on their current projects and will get back to us,” he said.

Powell said that three other companies, Smithfield Foods, Trinity Foods and Prestige Farms, had to cancel because of other commitments. Other companies that were to have participated in the fair were Two Hawks Employment Services, Robeson County Rehabilitation, and Scotland County Vocational Rehabilitation.

Powell said that a large crowd of job seekers was expected to attend the Lumberton fair, the seventh one sponsored by the council since May 23. He said he fielded 70 calls about the fair’s postponement and between 7 and 10 a.m. Tuesday actually met on site with several job seekers who came to the Bill Sapp Recreation Center not knowing the event was postponed. The Robesonian also had a couple of dozen calls from people asking if the event had been rescheduled.

Although the job fair is designed primarily for residents of Robeson, Scotland and Hoke counties who have served time in prison and need to find work, it is open to anyone. The Southeast Regional Re-entry Council is an agency that helps coordinate re-entry services for former inmates, including helping them find jobs and housing.

The council’s next job fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 16 at the Red Springs Community Building in Red Springs.

Robeson County Commissioner Raymond Cummings, whose district includes Red Springs, said Wednesday that the job fairs sponsored by the Southeast Regional Re-Entry Council are being held at different locations throughout the county.

“We are trying through these fairs to reach the outlying areas of the county,” he said. “We want to bring these fairs to as many people as possible.”

Next one is Nov. 16 in Red Springs

By Bob Shiles

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Bob Shiles can be reached at 910-416-5165.