CORNER BROOK — Kayla Matchem is still figuring out what trade she’d like to pursue in school, but that didn’t stop her from taking in the Campus City Connection job fair at the Pepsi Centre Thursday.
“I just wanted to check out what kind of opportunities are out there,” said Matchem, who is currently enrolled in the three-month orientation to trades and technology program at College of the North Atlantic.
“When I do decide what trade I want to take, I want to know what opportunities are available to me when I finish.”
Providing that information was just what the fair was all about.
Jennifer McGinn, senior career development co-ordinator with Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland, organized the fair for the Campus City Connect. The group is a partnership of Grenfell Campus, College of the North Atlantic, Academy Canada and the City of Corner Brook.
She said the fair really served two purposes — to inform the students of job opportunities and to connect employers with a potential workforce.
Everything from oil and energy companies, to banks and law enforcement agencies were represented.
One company that attracted quite a bit of attention was Halliburton.
The Calgary-based energy service company is involved in everything from finding hydrocarbons to drilling and production on wells.
Recruiting specialist Carmen Ogle said most people she talked with wanted more information on the company and job opportunities.
“A lot of them just want to know what we can do for them and how we’re going to help develop them,” said Ogle.
That’s because Halliburton is known for how it treats its employees.
“We hire a lot more for career growth than we do for jobs,” said Ogle.
She said the company is big on training and offering new opportunities to employees to set them up for success and make them more well rounded.
Ogle said Halliburton is currently looking for employees and one growth area is in Saskatchewan.
“So we’re looking for people that may be willing to relocate. Especially new grads, they’re kind of more flexible and they just want to get working and get some experience under their belt.”
Meanwhile, Matchem is considering a career in civil engineering and said she’s attracted to the hands on aspect of trades work and the fact that there are more and more opportunities becoming available for women.
She was particularly impressed by what she heard from the Nalcor representatives.
“They’re very diverse, and very open and trying to get more women into the workforce,” said Matchem.
“They’ve got a lot of new opportunities that are opening up and need people from everywhere, right from grocery clerks to civil engineering, to welding, the works.”
William Bennett found the fair to be a real “eyeopener” as he was exposed to groups and businesses that he didn’t know existed.
The information he gathered will aid him in his role as an adult basic education instructor at Academy Canada.
“My students are basically getting their high school diplomas, so they’ll be moving into trades and I’m gathering information so I can be better informed for their sake.”
Bennett plans to set up a display of the information he’s gathered to share with his students.
