Forty-four employers were on hand to relay information pertaining to job requirements, benefits and general information.
“It’s an opportunity for the students to research what kind of jobs are available with the different companies,” said Debbi Gola, employment services co-ordinator for SIAST Woodland Campus.
Construction, nursing and correctional services are just a few of the fields that were represented on Tuesday.
“(The job fair) continues to grow every year and the demand for SIAST students is just so great out there in the province,” Gola added. “We have employers from the United States and from different provinces here.”
Gola noted that many students aren’t aware of all the opportunities that exist with different employers.
“Once they get to talk to the employers, they find out,” she said. “If you think of SaskTel or some of the other government departments, you only think of the service they provide. (Students) may not look at the back-end, where they may need web designers or media people.”
Correctional Service of Canada recruitment agent Janet McElligott said that while the outfit was looking for the more expected position of correctional officers for the Prairie Region, it was also looking for administrative assistants.
“On an ongoing basis, we’ve got a lot of different careers that are available in the service, which a lot of people don’t think about,” she said.
From administration, to nurses, to tradespeople, to teachers, McElligott said there are a host of options.
“Whatever you think a small community might need, we need that at the institution level,” she said.
“One of the biggest reasons we come here is because they do have a corrections program here at SIAST,” McElligott added. “We like to make the students aware of the things that are available.”
Henry Fehr, human resources manager for Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd., said the company attends the job fair at the Woodland Campus to recruit prospective welders.
“The reason for this school is they’ve got a great welding program,” he said. “About six months ago, we were introduced to two of (the program’s) graduates and they became our employees.”
Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd., which has been operating since 1985, is located in Frontier, Sask., about 577 kilometres south of Prince Albert.
“We’re so rural ... and so for people to come to (work for) us, we need people who are interested in living a rural lifestyle,” he said, noting that the population is about 350.
Fehr said the goal would be to hire one or two graduates from Woodland Campus a year.
alex.dipietro@paherald.sk.ca
