By JAKE ROBINSON
An opportunity like this is more than “fair.”
Students and alumni members crowded into Bingemans Conference Centre in Kitchener on Feb. 1, for the 2012 Partners For Employment job fair. It began at 10 a.m. and went until 3:30 p.m.
The fair had 183 employers and was exclusive to students from Conestoga College, University of Guelph, Wilfrid Laurier University and University of Waterloo.
While the event had 3,962 students seeking employment, Conestoga had a total of 525 present.
The fair had a variety of employers accepting applications including RIM, Waterloo Regional Police, Manulife Financial, Target and The Weather Network.
“The event draws high calibre companies consisting of companies with a local, national and global presence,” said Sandra Cocco, Conestoga’s employer relations and job development manager.
The employers were happy with both the quantity and quality of the applicants as they expressed knowledge and enthusiasm while interacting with the representatives from the companies.
Brenda Rankin, executive vice-president for Client Outlook Inc., was pleased with the turnout they had at their booth. Client Outlook Inc. is a company that specializes in eUnity which helps health-care professionals obtain access to medical imaging more efficiently.
“We’ve got lots of young candidates coming by – a lot of software development which we’re looking for specifically because we are a hi-tech company,” said Rankin. “We’re a small organization so we’re looking for people who are young, fresh and want to be entrepreneurial.”
Lisa Robinson, residential program co-ordinator for Camp Oochigeas, was also pleased with the turnout at her booth which is dedicated to helping kids who have been affected by cancer.
“There’s a lot of people, which is amazing, and everyone seems really committed,” said Robinson. “We’re looking for people who are interested in being involved in camp, and maybe they haven’t been to camp, but they understand the importance of camp in a child’s life.”
Cocco was pleased with the overall commitment that the students demonstrated at the fair.
“The traffic was steady all day and we received great feedback from employers and students,” she said. “It is great to see students networking with employers and learning how to launch their careers.”
Partners For Employment will hold another career fair on Sept. 26; however, Conestoga will have an on-campus job fair on March 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the recreation centre on the Doon campus.
