AN INTERVIEW WITH
MARK LEWIS

  The Georgia Employer Committee would like to share with its viewers the EMR's who are vital to the success of the Local Committees throughout the State. This month we meet and talk with Mark Lewis of the Tifton Career Center.

Tell us your name, your Career Center and how long you’ve been an EMR?

ML: - My name is Mark Lewis, and I am the Employment Marketing Representative for the Tifton Career Center, serving Tift, Ben Hill, Berrien, Irwin, and Turner Counties. I have lived in Tifton for thirteen years, and I have been an Employment Marketing Representative for four and a half years.

Do you have any special talents, hobbies or interests you’d like to share?

ML: - I enjoy spending time with my wife and son. I also enjoy reading and studying the Bible, hunting and collecting arrowheads, fishing, and working developing our land. I also enjoy playing ping pong. I started playing when I was a boy, and played in college tournaments. I play every chance that I can.

What led you to your position as an EMR and why?

ML: - Before coming to the Tifton Career Center, I worked in manufacturing for almost nine years as a computer system operator. I enjoyed my job, but I saw the opening for EMR on the GDOL website, and I thought that it would be an interesting and challenging job because I studied marketing in college. As it turns out, the EMR position has been a very challenging and rewarding experience matching businesses and organizations with the people that they need.

What do you feel is unique about the area in which you work?

ML: - Our area in South Georgia is changing and growing. Though we have been faced with some closures, and relocations of some industries and businesses, we have still maintained a steady growth of businesses. I feel that it is unique that I have either lived or worked in the past, in four out of the five counties that we cover. Another interesting thing that I have noticed from an EMR perspective, is that in covering different locations, each location seems to have a personality of its own, and more specifically each business seems to have a personality of its own.

How active is your Employer Committee? What do you feel are its best features and biggest challenges?

ML: - We have an active and growing Employer Committee that usually averages in attendance from 15 to 25 each month. The Tiftarea Employer Committee is actively working in our area community assisting youth through the Choices program in the school system. The Choices program assist youth in making career choices for their future. Our Employer Committee also assist other organizations in food distributions for Thanksgiving. Our Employer Committee and GDOL/Tifton Career Center employee's also assist families in need, throughout the Christmas season with donations of toys, clothing, and food. I believe one of the Tiftarea Employer Committees best features is their concern for the upcoming future workforce. I believe this is one of our biggest challenges also. The Tiftarea Employer Committee has worked diligently on the "Education Go Get It" powerpoint presentation. The Committee members made the presentation to employee's at Orgill in Tifton, to relay the importance of education for the future workforce, which will be the children of the employee's working at that business, and other businesses. The Tiftarea Employer Committee will continue to make presentations in businesses to "plant seeds" about the importance of education to employee's, so the information can be relayed to their children, which are the future workforce.

 

Have you or your Employer Committee received any awards or special recognition?

ML: - The Tiftarea Employer Committee has not received any awards. I have received an EMR High Achievement Award in 2003.

What community activities do you participate in as an EMR?

ML: - Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce Ambassador, and work with Vocational Advisory Committee Tift County High School.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

ML: - I enjoy that each day is a different day, with different opportunities. I enjoy assisting businesses looking to hire, and assisting job seekers who are looking for work. I enjoy seeing a good match come together. I also enjoy planning, organizing, and recruiting for job fairs.

In the future, what would you most like to accomplish as EMR?

ML: - I would like to assist with the implementation of tools to improve work ethic for the future workforce through our Tiftarea Employer Committee working with school systems and other organizations.

What future trends do you see in employment needs in my area?

ML:- In our area in South Georgia, there is an increase in service related businesses. I believe that once businesses realize the services that can be utilized from using the GDOL/Career Centers, there will be more and more businesses using our services, especially new businesses. Another employment trend that I have noticed from talking to hundreds of businesses is their interest in older workers. Their interest would be based on the older workers work ethic.

Tifton Staff

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