You don’t have to be 20 years old and just starting out in the work world to attend the Black Press Extreme Education and Career Fair.
You can actually be in your 30s, 40s and 50s and be looking for a career makeover. People of all age ranges drop into Black Press career fairs, the first of which in Metro Vancouver this year takes place at the Cloverdale Agriplex.
The event is set for this April 26, between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., and is the third such career fair in the Metro Vancouver area, following two previous events last spring and fall.
People who show up will have a virtual buffet of potential employers willing to talk and listen and see if job seekers’ skills and experience match what they’re looking for.
If they don’t, several colleges will also be at the fair to show how people can they can upgrade and get the skills for the job they want.
New exhibitors this time around include CN Rail, said Brittney Prentice, events marketing coordinator with Black Press News Media Group.
“This is the first time for Vancouver Police Department participating in one of our events. This the first time McDonald’s is participating in this Lower Mainland event.”
While some public employers will have rigid application processes, career fairs provide a speedy shortcut to interviews for many job hunters who show up with freshly minted resumes.
“Some companies will do interviews on the spot,” said Prentice.
Specific programs that are geared for the job market will be profiled at the fair. Prentice said about 78 per cent of future jobs will require some type of post-secondary education.
For job hunters, it’s going to be a buyer’s market for several years. Prentice said the BC Labour Market Outlook for 2018 says between 2017 and 2027, there will be 917,000 job vacancies in B.C.
Almost half of those positions will be filled by people just entering the work force. Warehouse work and retail management will be have the highest demand for staff.
Public agencies such as BC Corrections, ICBC and the Canadian Armed Forces also will be among the exhibitors.
The several schools that will be there include Sprott Shaw Community College, CDI Career College, Vancouver Career College, Focus College, Vancouver College of Massage Therapy, BCIT, Discovery Community College and Vancouver Island University.
