Thousands of young people turned up at the 19th annual Youth Job Fair at Stampede Park on Tuesday, eager to meet with potential employers.
An estimated 3,000 youth were lined up outside Stampede Park ahead of the event which got underway at 1:30 p.m., according to the City of Calgary.
The free fair was open to Calgarians aged 15-24, and gives them the opportunity to meet with 80 different potential employers from industries including recreation, hospitality, financial services and customer service.
“In this economy, job seekers are looking for any edge they can get,” spokesperson Jennifer MacSween said.
“Leading up to the fair, we had hundreds of youth visiting our Youth Employment Centre for free resume assistance, interview preparation and career planning.”
The hiring fair is an initiative from the City of Calgary’s Youth Employment Centre (YEC) which offers year-round career planning and employment services.
Eric Peltier, a 21-year-old electrician from Sundance, called the job fair a great way to network with potential employers and get an idea of what jobs are available in today’s market.
“I’m a third year electrician and I’ve been on the job hunt for a couple of months now. I haven’t gotten any bites yet,” he said in a news release.
“Thought this would be a good opportunity to make some connections and get my resume out there.”
The fair is also a great opportunity for local businesses to put a name to the faces of some of their potential workers, who are willing and eager to get to work.
“The energetic atmosphere brings an excitement you won’t find at any other employment fair,” said Pearl Hystad, a human resources and training manager at Tim Hortons Reid Management.
Tuesday’s event runs from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Big Four building.
A complete list of employers attending the fair can be found online at YouthEmploymentCentre.ca.