SMYRNA, Tenn. (WKRN) — Hundreds of workers at Bridgestone's Truck and Bus Radial Tire Plant in La Vergne will lose their jobs at the end of the month.

Earlier this year, the company announced the plant's closure. Dennis Vaughan is one of those employees losing his job this summer. He told News 2 he is now working to not only find a new career, but helping his co-workers through the Institute for Career Development.

"My job as the coordinator for the ICD is to connect people with educational opportunities, but I recognize a lot of people want to be connected with employment opportunities," Vaughan said. "I took it upon myself to organize this event and try to do a little bit of both."

On Wednesday, Vaughn organized a job fair in Smyrna to accomplish his goal. Forty educational institutions and businesses came out to attract workers. Several people who attended the job fair told News 2 they were very thankful for the opportunity to gain employment.

Even with the job fair, Vaughan believes the current job market is tough.

"I think there are employers that are out there looking, but right now it is kind of a challenging job market," Vaughan expressed. "The impact of Bridgestone is six hundred and something people that are going to be losing their jobs. So finding those new jobs out there, is a little bit of a challenge."

Vaughan encourages people looking for employment to stay persistent. La Vergne Mayor Jason Cole said the city is working with the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce and other partners to bring in high quality, industrial and commercial businesses.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/job-fair-held-for-la-vergne-bridgestone-employees-ahead-of-plant-closure/