Annual Career and Job Fair set for March 6

The seventh annual Career and Job Fair is shaping up to be another great event. Representatives from dozens of local and national companies, government agencies and professional associations have confirmed their attendance from 1 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6, at the College of the Rockies Cranbrook main campus.

The Career and Job Fair follows the Cranbrook and District Chamber of Commerce business lunch being held at College of the Rockies from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The lunch, a Chamber event for pre-registered members, features guest speaker Neil Muth, CEO of Columbia Basin Trust. Neil will outline the goals, objectives and future vision of Columbia Basin Trust. He will then be joined by Greg Deck, Chair of CBT in a question and answer session moderated by Keith Powell, publisher of Kootenay Business magazine.

The Career and Job Fair, a partnership between Kootenay Business magazine, the Cranbrook and District Chamber of Commerce, the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group and College of the Rockies, is the largest in the East Kootenays and gives employers and potential employees a chance to network, investigate career opportunities and perhaps find employment in the expanded Summer Job Alley. Employers will be accepting resumes and actively recruiting for employees during the event.

“The Career and Job Fair is an excellent opportunity for employers and potential employees to meet and network,” said College of the Rockies’ career and placement officer Mary Davies. “We encourage job seekers to go to this event prepared – to dress neatly, have resumes on hand and take the time to talk about their skills to employers - whether they’re looking for a career, summer employment or both.”

The event will bring companies into direct contact with COTR students as well as area secondary school students, offering businesses a chance to get young people interested in their industry.

Keith Powell, publisher of Kootenay Business magazine, said, “I think this annual event offers an important benefit for businesses, not only to meet the students who are being trained at College of the Rockies, but to reach secondary school students who are thinking of the future and others who are currently unemployed but interested in exploring new options.

“The section of the Career and Job Fair called the Summer Job Alley will feature employers especially interested in recruiting young people for summer jobs. With many people seeking job and career opportunities this event is custom-made to help them, so they should bring their resumes to share with prospective employers.”

Davies agrees. “Our college students, who are already in a program, can talk directly with potential employers in their fields. Those who are in general studies or uncertain about what they want to do can get some ideas about what kind of careers are available. And, of course, members of the general public are also welcome to attend and enter to win the many door prizes including a $250 tuition award for College of the Rockies.”

In addition, fees paid by participating exhibitors contribute to College of the Rockies Career and Job Fair Entrance Awards, which are available to students entering the college’s Business Administration program for the first time who have a goal of earning a diploma in any major. Entrance award values are up to $1500. Details of the award criteria and applications will be available at the Career and Job Fair, in schools and online at cotr.bc.ca.

For more information on the Career and Job Fair contact Mary Davies, College of the Rockies Career and Placement Officer at 250-489-2751 ext. 3441 or email: [email protected] or to participate as an exhibitor contact Kootenay Business at 250-426-7253 or [email protected].