By Michael Joel-Hansen

Prince Albert Exhibition Centre welcomes career fair

Oct 24, 2018 | 4:47 PM

The Prince Albert Exhibition Centre opened its doors to welcome over 2,000 people on Wednesday.

The venue played host to the Opening Doors to Tomorrow Career and Job Fair. The event had 58 different booths from both employers along with universities and colleges.

Organizing the job fair was a collaborative effort by the Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division, Saskatchewan Health Authority, Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Prince Albert and Community Futures and Prince Albert and District Chamber of Commerce.

Patricia Bibby is high school learning and transition coach for the Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division and also served as the chair of the committee which organized the fair. Bibby said events like the career fair, which is in its ninth year are important to have.

“I think it’s important to have events like this so our students and community members can realize and see the options that are out there for them, not just those that are local but also provincially and nationally,” she said.

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When looking at what employers and post-secondary institutions to invite to the fair, Bibby based her decisions on what she heard from students.

“I take note of what they’re thinking about possibly pursuing in their post-secondary lives and the displayers you see here are a reflection of that,” she said.

While appealing to high school students was a major part of the fair, the division bussed in over 1,000 kids throughout the day from as far away as Big River. Other students were expected to drop in as well.

“We anticipate at least 500 walk-in individuals from the community,” Bibby said.

The employers on hand ranged from the City of Prince Albert, the Prince Albert Fire Department, Parkland Ambulance, Lake Country Co-op, and both provincial and federal correctional centres. Representatives from both of the province’s universities were also on hand.

Many of the employers took part in previous years, but this year there was a new one present. Matthew Rustad, who was representing the Saskatchewan Land Surveyors Association was there to promote the profession.

“We have a problem of recruiting kids. There’s a shortage of land surveyors,” he said.

Rustad explained coming to events like a career fair provides people who are in the profession a good chance to educate people about it.

“You talk to the average person and they’ve got no idea what land surveying is. Half of them think you go door to door asking people questions,” he said.

The booth which Rustad set up included tools used for the trade. 

“I think the reception’s been quite good,” he said.     

MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn