B.C. jobs available in many sectors

The Job Fair held at College of the Rockies and 23 other locations in B.C. offered opportunities for work and work qualification

Lucas Segar heads up Pace Communications Group's mobile exhibit team at 24 B.C. job fairs. — Marie Milner photo

From September 18 through November 30, 2012, the province of B.C.’s Mobile Exhibit and Job Fair representatives brought the B.C. Jobs Start Here Job Fair to 24 communities in B.C. There were 20 to 30 employers and trainers on hand at each site, ready to speak with job seekers about opportunities for work in many fields and—best case scenario—do some hiring.

Cranbrook was one of the selected communities. The job fair took place at College of the Rockies on October 19, with 25 employers and educational agencies offering opportunities for work and work qualification.

The organization

This job fair is a provincial government initiative that started in the spring of this year; the contract for the fair and the mobile exhibit were awarded to Vancouver-based Pace Group Communications. 

“Locations were picked so as to give the widest coverage possible over the province,” said Lucas Segar, head of the mobile exhibit team that set up the job fair at each location. The team is based in Vancouver and drove all over the province during the 11-week period, setting up an average of two fairs per week.

“We have two organizers who handle the logistics and pass the info on to us," Segar said. "We promote two websites: the bcjobsplan.ca website, where you can read about the job fair and which employers are in attendance. Under 'share your ideas,' the website invites both job seekers and employers to provide feedback. That site links to workbc.ca, which is the new one-stop area for your online job search.”

Pace Group will tabulate the feedback information to determine how effective the fairs have been, and eventually it will be decided whether the government will offer them regularly.

“What we’re looking for are indications that people get value from attending, and so far the feedback is positive,” Segar said.

Making the most of the opportunity

Job seekers were encouraged to do some preparation before attending their local fair: first, find out which employers would be in attendance; second, have some questions ready for the recruiters with whom they plan to spend time; third, bring along their resume; and fourth, present themselves appropriately.

“Job fairs are a great way for people to get some idea of what opportunities are available, where they are, and how to access them,” said Segar. “The employers are very nice people and they will answer any questions you have.”