Make sure to stop by the Bay Street Armoury today between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to find your future career or post-secondary opportunity at the Black Press Media career fair.
Hopeful, but nervous.
That was the feedback 2,000 Canadians aged 15 to 24 gave in a recent survey conducted to find out how young people feel about entering the work force and what kind of future employment awaits them.
In the review – conducted by the Royal Bank of Canada – respondents were asked to describe how they felt about what careers they may pursue.
RELATED: Find your future at Black Press career fair in Victoria
In B.C., youth weren’t feeling as confident when compared to the national average, that they would find employment opportunities, leading to anxiousness about the employment process.
The majority of youth said they turn first to their parents for career advice, and 83 per cent found that having a part-time job is the best way to develop professional skills.
But, there is somewhere else to turn – career fairs.
Black Press Media in Victoria is set to host their annual Extreme Education and Career Fair, Oct. 25 at the Bay Street Armoury.
With close to 70 employers in one place, a career fair can be an informal and informative way to find out what awaits you in the workforce.
RELATED: Black Press to host extreme career fair in Victoria
Nearly 45 per cent of B.C. youth said they feel unprepared for the workforce based on actions they’re taking now, as opposed to 39 per cent who said the same across Canada.
“Overwhelmingly, Canadian youth are feeling anxious and unprepared about entering the workforce, but there’s a silver lining – they also have underlying optimism and excitement for the future,” said Valerie Chort, vice-president of corporate citizenship with RBC.
Across Canada, the cannabis industry is a burgeoning business and Mike Beattie of BC Cannabis participated in the Black Press Media Career Fair in Cloverdale last month.
“As long as you’ve got the qualifications you can be anywhere from 19 to 67 [years old],” Beattie said. “We are an inclusive employer.”
Beattie said full time positions in warehouses and call centres will need to be filled, as the government continues to roll out the week-and-a-half old business.
“We anticipate call centre business is going to be a very big part of this,” he said, adding those with experience in the industry before it was legalized bring valuable knowledge to the operation.
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The Black Press Media Career Fair will assemble employers, as well as educators, to give youth a variety of options when looking to the future. Some are anxious to join the work force, while for others, enrolling in a trades program or learning about similar post-secondary options can make the career fair option a successful venture.
The Black Press MEdia Extreme Education and Career Fair runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Oct. 25 at the Bay Street Armoury (713 Bay St.).
