Prince George employment expo connects job seekers with employers, training opportunities

And those employers are not simply there to promote their industries.

They are hiring.

“The employers that are here are hiring,” said Bev Schwartz, regional manager for WorkBC centres in Prince George, Mackenzie and Valemount. “This is the opportunity to come and talk to them. Some of them are even doing interviews on the spot.”

Schwartz said previous annual hiring fairs held in partnership with the Prince George Native Friendship Centre have typically attracted between 30 and 40 employers and anywhere from 150 to 500 people during a one-day event.

This time, organizers are expecting considerably more traffic.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we have 1,000 people come through in the next two days,” Schwartz said.

The expo is being held over two days, including evening hours on Thursday, in an effort to make it accessible to people who are currently working but may be looking for a change.

The event is also different from previous hiring fairs because the focus extends beyond employers.

Training providers are on site to show prospective workers what they may need to qualify for jobs, while employment organizations are offering assistance to help people get there.

Schwartz said Prince George has been identified as a “community in transition,” with the effects of tariffs reaching beyond the city’s major mills and companies and into the wider community.

That has opened the door to supports for people who may need to retrain for a new occupation.

“There are many tariff supports that are available for people today,” Schwartz said. “One of them is tuition. We can assist with tuition up to $20,000 in tuition. This is the first time ever that we have had this opportunity.”

Schwartz said WorkBC has already been speaking with affected mill workers about those opportunities.

For those considering retraining while remaining in the Prince George region, she said the expo is an opportunity to explore training and prospective employment at the same time.

Among the employers represented are organizations from mining, construction and health care.

The expo also includes a WorkBC hub where people can receive hands-on assistance with their job search. That help could be as simple as tweaking and printing a resumé or could involve assisting someone with an online application required by an employer.

For job seekers, having employers, trainers and employment support agencies in one room can eliminate some of the barriers between wanting a job and knowing how to pursue it.

Amanda Chingee, who works with the Prince George Aboriginal Employment and Training Association, said events such as the expo also allow staff to reconnect with clients and strengthen relationships with employers and other organizations.

More importantly, they can give job seekers a tangible sense that opportunities are available.

“Once they see that, they’re just like, ‘I seen them at the fair. Do you know how I can get my foot in the door? Who do I contact? How do I get in with them?'” Chingee said.

That’s where employment organizations can help turn the initial contact into something more concrete.

“We’re able to support them because we do have some contacts with some of the organizations here and the employers,” Chingee said. “And if we don’t, we know who to reach out to.”

She said PGNAETA provides what she describes as “wraparound” supports for clients. Along with employment and training assistance, including support for tuition, books and supplies, staff can help address some of the additional barriers confronting people on their employment journey.

For one training provider at the expo, the relationship with WorkBC has come full circle.

Melanie Read and her husband own Read Fire and Medical Safety Training.

The company primarily provides first aid instruction and also offers fit testing for workers who require masks for their jobs, with fire safety courses also coming.

“We start out at the baby ones like CPR,” Read said, describing a range of programs that progresses through basic and intermediate training to advanced first aid and emergency medical responder training.

Read is at the expo as a training provider, but she has also been on the other side of the WorkBC desk.

About 15 years ago, she needed help herself.

“I’m actually a success story from WorkBC,” Read said. “They helped me out 15 years ago and helped me get training and get on. Now I own a business.”

Today, the business owner who once came to WorkBC looking for assistance is turning to the organization for help finding a worker.

“I’m actually looking to them to find somebody to work for me,” she said.

It’s a full-circle example of what organizers hope the expo can provide.

For some visitors, that could mean acquiring a certification or discovering financial help is available for retraining. Others may leave with a polished resumé, an application submitted or a contact who can help them get their foot in the door.

And for some, the connection could happen even faster.

With employers conducting interviews on site and looking for workers now, the distance between job seeker and employee may be no farther than the other side of a booth.

by Cheryl Jahn

Prince George employment expo connects job seekers with employers, training opportunities

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