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News

TRU's 2010 student job fair cancelled

Rebekah Hammond - Science & Tech Editor

Students banking on the job fair to meet potential employers will have to find other ways to make connections.

TRU's annual job fair, usually held in March, has been cancelled due to not enough employer applicants.

"We had a lot of employers interested in coming, but when it actually came time for them to give us the forms and say, 'Yes, we're committed, here's our money.' There just weren't results," said Susan Forseille, a student employment co-ordinator at TRU.

The TRU job fair is the largest one in the Thompson-Okanagan region. In previous years, the career education department has had to turn down employers because there wasn't enough room.

There were hundreds, if not thousands, of positions being offered, said Forseille.

Even last year had a relatively good turnout with 64 employer booths and about 1,800 students attending.

2010 proved to be different when it came to organizing the job fair, with a much smaller number of interested employers and a limited number of jobs being offered.

"[Employers] weren't coming with jobs in hand and we've always been so focused on it," Forseille said. "If we're going to have a job fair it's going to be all about jobs for summer and graduate work. We thought we just couldn't do it."

Forseille knew it was going to be a different year when she learned UBC and SFU cancelled the job fair they collaborate on for their MBA students. SFU also cancelled their summer job fair, Chilliwack's Fraser University job fair only has five employers attending and "UBC-Okanagan had theirs, but wishes they hadn't done it," Forseille said.

TRU's student employment department believed it would be frustrating for students who attend hoping to find employment.

"They weren't coming with jobs in hand and we've always been so focused on it, if we're going to have a job fair, it's going to be all about jobs for summer and graduate work. We thought we just couldn't do it," Forseille said."

They are hoping to be able to host it again in 2011.

B.C. Assessment was one employer that was planning on attending the job fair.

"We've done it for a number of years," said Bruce Tasaka, assessor for the Thompson-Cariboo Region. "We're a little disappointed this year not to be doing that, but maybe we can get back into it again next year."

B.C. Assessment is always looking for new employees who can be hired and trained as older staff retire.

"We have permanent jobs that come up just whenever there's need," Tasaka said. "Usually we have some temporary jobs during the summer, into the fall, but we also use the [TRU] co-op program to fill those positions, so we're still doing that."

Though the job fair is not being held this year, B.C. Assessment has been in contact with TRU and may be one of the employers who has been invited by TRU to come and hold a customized information session for interested students.

The student employment centre will also be holding workshops.

"We're going to be doing workshops for students on looking for work in a tough or competitive labour market and do a lot more one-on-one help," said Forseille.

Whether you are a graduate student looking for employment or a student looking for summer work, Forseille emphasized the importance of being proactive in searching for a job. Anywhere from 85 to 90 per cent of jobs are never advertised, according to Forseille.

"You've got to make contact with the industries or the associations. That's when you have to tap into what we call the hidden job market and find out where the jobs are," she said. "There's definitely a lot of work out there."

For more information and event details, see www.tru.ca/careereducation/events.