Halifax job fair draws more than 2,000 attendees
The atmosphere inside a job fair in Halifax on Wednesday was electric as eager job seekers pushed through crowds and endured long lines at employers’ booths.
“We had 350 people in the first 20 minutes literally come into the service and we still had a lineup going down and around the building,” said Philip Cantrill, executive director of Job Junction Nova Scotia Works.
The job fair is a two-day event, with its first day seeing more than 2,000 people attend.
Attendees like Abishek Damodran and his friend Mohammed Saif were surprised to see so many people fill the room looking for jobs.
“We are looking for a part-time right now. We still don’t find a job and it’s been like four-to-five months that we are here. We thought it could be helpful but there is so much competition,” said Damodran.
Damodran said it has been extremely difficult finding a part-time position around the Halifax area and he hopes the job fair helps.
“We have dropped off our resume at a few places and they have given positive responses, so we’re hoping,” he said.
More than 100 employers set up booths at the job fair.
“Things are always changing, people are always changing and so we really wanted to be connected to them and see what we can offer to them and see what they can offer the forces as well,” said Roxxane Cyr, crews commander of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Some were also there to promote the types of jobs that exist within the industry.
“We have more than just sea-going positions. We have shore-based positions. We want people to understand that we do more than just go on vessels and explain what the opportunities are and how great it is to work with the Coast Guard,” said Scott Fisher of the Canadian Coast Guard.
Others also provided information on jobs that may not people be on people’s radars.
“Most people think it requires an enormous amount of education to get into Nova Scotia Health. Here we offer actually a handful of online courses to get you started and because the need is so great, we actually offer an opportunity that once you’re enrolled in this course you can actually be hired within Nova Scotia Health as soon as you’re enrolled,” said Cheryl Bennet with Nova Scotia Health’s Medical Device Reprocessing Department.
Saif said he was happy to have the opportunity.
“I think it’s a very good platform to connect with the employer because we don’t get the opportunity to connect with the employer directly,” he said.
However, there were others attending the event who did not find the job fair had positions that matched their qualifications.
“We came here thinking it was going to be a big job fest but we didn’t find it useful for us,” Christy Binoy and Isbel Sabal.
Binoy and Sabal said they are graduates of the management program and a lot of the positions available were not a fit for them.
“It seems like it’s more so for the health-care field so there’s not much opportunities for us,” Sabal.
The next job fair is going to be in the summer season.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
3 injured after man with knife enters Montreal-area mosque
Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.
Police arrest 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole Porsche and ran over its owner
Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.
Woman nearly shut out of mother's estate sues brother in B.C. Supreme Court – and wins
Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.
Teen arrested in New Brunswick after emergency alert; 5 people in custody
A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.
Kamala Harris tells Oprah any intruder to her home is 'getting shot'
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris on Thursday issued a warning to any potential home intruder: 'If somebody breaks in my house, they're getting shot.'
On the trail of the mystery woman whose company licensed exploding pagers
What Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono, 49, the Italian-Hungarian CEO and owner of Hungary-based BAC Consulting, says she hasn't done is make the exploding pagers that killed 12 people and wounded more than 2,000 in Lebanon this week.
Woman shot by B.C. police was Colombian refugee with young daughter, advocate says
Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.
'We're still pushing hard': Search for missing Manitoba boy continues, RCMP find tracks
The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.
Video released of person of interest after cat is allegedly set on fire in Orillia, Ont.
Provincial police investigating the death of a cat that was allegedly set on fire in Orillia earlier this week released surveillance video of a person of interest in the case.