Youth hiring fair looking to connect young Calgarians with summer jobs

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With 80 companies looking to hire more than 5,000 young people for work, Calgary youth are encouraged to come prepared for the city’s annual hiring fair.

The City of Calgary’s Youth Employment Centre will hold its Youth Hiring Fair on April 6 from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Big Four Building on the Stampede grounds. The event is free for people aged 15 to 24.

“We’re still seeing that this is a positive job market for youth job-seekers. But you still need to come prepared and attend with resumes and you still have to feel a level of comfort approaching an employer booth to introduce yourself and ask a few questions,” said Tara Huxley, coordinator of community services, recreation and social programs.

The 80 available spaces sold out in record time, which Huxley said communicates the demand for workers. Participating companies span numerous industries seeking part-time, full-time, seasonal and career workers.

Huxley said it’s not uncommon for interviews to be booked or to happen on-site, so job seekers should also come ready to chat.

“Some youth last year were interviewed on the spot, offered an employment opportunity and walked out of the hiring fair with a job,” she said.

Youth encouraged to step outside their comfort zones

Sarah Imran, director of career services at Mount Royal University, said the school’s summer job fair earlier this month involved more than 40 employers.

“They were ecstatic to meet our students for their summer jobs,” said Imran. “Some of them were making job offers right there.”

There is currently a high demand for workers, Imran said. But she said that during the fair she noticed there might be a disconnect between the jobs young people are looking for and those that are available.

“There are hundreds of jobs live right now,” said Imran. “But there’s almost like a mismatch. Like students want to do something different than what the environment is offering them.”

Gaining experience is increasingly important for future employment, Imran explained.

“If you don’t have any experience, then start somewhere. If you already have experience, then talk to your mentors or people that you respect and listen for advice to figure out what should be the best next job,” she said.

She hopes students will step outside of their comfort zone to attend the job fairs available to them even though hiring fairs can be “emotionally draining and intimidating.”

Youth Employment Centre a resource

Calgary’s Youth Employment Centre is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and accepts walk-ins for free career services and employer connections year-round.

Huxley hopes young people will take advantage of these services before the fair so their resumes can be polished and they can gain confidence for job interviews.

“And you can sort of practice introducing yourself, practice approaching people. Even if you have to pretend to do that with a family member or with a neighbour, start being more comfortable,” she said.

sbabych@postmedia.com