Jackson Free Press

Talent Retention Career Fair

The City of Jackson, in partnership with the Greater Jackson Partnership, is planning a Talent Retention Career Fair for Thursday, April 18th from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., at Metrocenter Mall.

This event, geared toward the college graduating class of 2013, is a major component of a new collaborative effort to improve Jackson's talent retention by offering quality employment opportunities to highly skilled young people already living in the Jackson metro area. The target audience is all 2013 college graduates from Jackson metro area institutions, including: Jackson State University, Belhaven University, Tougaloo College, Mississippi College, Millsaps College, Hinds Community College and Holmes Community College.

The fair will offer attendees an opportunity to meet with recruiters and potential employers from metro-area companies with job opportunities available.

For more information, call Bridget Young-Townsend at 601-960-1084.

Millsaps Community Enrichment Series

Millsaps College's Community Enrichment Series is offering three classes on starting your own business in its spring schedule. Students will get information and advice from entrepreneurs who have started their own businesses and achieved success. The classes are:

Starting and Operating Your Own Business

Mondays, April 1-15 (3 classes), 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.; $70

This course guides students through start up to operations to growth. Instructor David McNair taught this course for several years at Millsaps. McNair lectured on privatization and free markets at the Institute of Economics and Management in Almaty, Kazakhstan, immediately after the revolution in the U.S.S.R. He has started several types of businesses in his career. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Mississippi State.

Exploring Entrepreneurship

Tuesdays, April 2-May 7 (6 classes), 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; $100

This course provides a survey of the basic concepts of starting a business. The course covers the personal origins for motivation and the skills, knowledge and abilities of the entrepreneur. The course includes guests who have successfully started their own businesses and who will speak with students about their experiences. Instructor Joe Donovan will conclude the class with students assessing their potential and developing an idea for a new business.

Starting a Nontraditional Business: Discovering the Entrepreneur Within

Tuesdays, May 14 - June 18 (6 classes), 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; $100

This course is intended for non-business focused individuals including artists, musicians, writers and hobbyists. The course will discuss how to turn students' passions into a business, or at least an activity that pays for itself. The course challenges individuals to recognize, develop, and act upon their potential for creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Joe Donovan, Director of Entrepreneurial Development at Millsaps College, earned his bachelor's degree from Thomas More College and his master's from Millsaps College. An active entrepreneur, Donovan has 25 years of progressive senior management experience, serving in the last 18 years as a chief executive officer, chief operating officer and CFO/vice president of finance for three multi-state organizations with gross sales exceeding $65 million annually.

To register for these courses, go to www.millsaps.edu/conted, or call 601-974-1130.

Free People Opens First Location in Mississippi

Free People, a part of the Urban Outfitters umbrella, opened a new location March 22 at 1000 Highland Colony Pkwy, #5018 Renaissance at Colony Park in Ridgeland. The 79th Free People boutique, the 1,800 square foot store is designed with a bohemian bungalow feel in mind, with hand-carved wooden fixtures and Indian cabinetry for decoration.

The story carries an assortment of apparel including shorts and tees, outerwear and accessories. Many items the store carries feature seams, stitches and hand-touched elements inspired by vintage fashion. The Ridgeland location also carries Free People's intimates line, Intimately Free People, consisting of slips, bras, undies, bodysuits, layering tops, and lounge jackets that are meant to be mixed and matched as underwear and outwear.

The store's hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m. For information visit http://www.facebook.com/FreePeopleRidgeland/info.

Nissan Donates High-Tech Robots to Alcorn State University Technology Program

On March 21 Nissan North America of Canton contributed two high-tech robots to Alcorn State University for use in its Advanced Technologies program. Nissan also provided training and orientation for Alcorn's robotics instructors. Nissan installed the robots, which are used to arc-weld Nissan car bodies, in the Alcorn robotics lab for students' educational use.