From first time job-seekers to those looking to change career paths, the Black Press Extreme Education & Career Fair has something for everybody.
Employers looking for potential workers will fill the Cloverdale Agriplex at 17798 62 Ave. in Surrey from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 13. The event is free and open to the public.
Sheri Jackson, Black Press News Media Group’s events manager, expects it to be one of their largest career fairs to date.
“There is so much opportunity under one roof, it’s extraordinary. If you are a job seeker or seeking options for post-secondary education, this is the place to be,” said Jackson.
Approximately 102 booths will be set up with small companies, large corporations and post-secondary institutions, such as BCIT, Vancouver Career College, Camosun College, Kal Tire, Tsawwassen Mills, the RCMP and many more.
For those seeking an unconventional way to find a job, founder of Career Coach Cribbage Andrew Kelly will host a guest speaker series to demonstrate his unique cribbage game.
Kelly has modified the traditional cribbage board to incorporate plays that create conversation about work experience, interview skills, first impressions and more.
“It’s putting everything together from resumes to cover letters and it’s in the format of playing cribbage. So when we play cribbage, you have the HR candidate and the player candidate,” said Kelly.
Kelly said the game reflects the real-life job hunting process and is helpful for high school students, college students, as well as job seekers of any age.
“With over 100 booths, there’s definitely a need for people seeking employees,” said Jackson. “Maybe people think they’re underqualified or overqualified or not aware of what the marketplace is really like for them.”
Last year, B.C. released its labour-market outlook, which predicted 917,000 job openings between 2017 and 2027, mostly due to workers leaving the workforce, mainly for retirement.
The Labour Market Outlook believes 78 per cent of jobs will require some form of post-secondary education or training.
The industries with the most job openings include health care and social assistance; professional, scientific and technical services; retail trade; accommodation and food services; and transportation and warehousing.
BC Stats reported the unemployment rate in B.C. was five per cent in July, the lowest in Canada. That’s also lower than 5.2 per cent one year ago.
For more information about the upcoming career fair, visit their Facebook event page, email localwork@blackpress.ca or call 1-855-678-7833.
