Okanagan College students looking for a job had 60 potential employers come to them Wednesday at the college’s annual business expo and hiring fair.
The all-day event at OC Centre For Learning on the Kelowna campus not only gave the students an opportunity to speak with companies, organizations and municipalities looking to recruit staff, it also gave them a chance to network.
“It’s pretty good, the companies are coming to us rather than us having to go to them,” said business student Raveet Kaur.
The business and management student said it also helped her learn what her finance speciality is suited for in the work world.
The expo, now in its 12th year, has become a popular event for both students and the business and organizations looking to hire.
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Christy Klein, with the City of Kelowna’s Human Resources department, said the expo is the main student hiring event the city attends each year.
She said while the city like to support the college, it has also hired a number of students in the past through the event who have gone on to work for it full-time.
“It’s also helps us raise awareness about what the city does and what it has to offer (in terms of jobs),” she said.
On Wednesday hundreds of students attended, networking with representatives of the companies there, making contacts and gathering information.
“We have found it to be very successful over the years,” said OC School of Business den Bill Gillett.
He said the college has a success rate of students finding full-time work in their field after graduating, a number in the high 90 per cent range. And the annual expo and hiring fair contributes to that success.
Gillett said a number of the presenters this year included former OC students who were back to help recruit for their respective companies.
As a testament to the growing popularity of the event, this year the college had to turn away 20 companies because there was not enough room at the OC Centre For Learning to accommodate the demand.
For next year, organizers are considering expanding on to the second floor of the facility so it can add more exhibitors.
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