Job seekers were at Kingston’s Portsmouth Olympic Harbour with a common goal of filling open positions.
Suzanne Walker says she’s only been out of work for a week and hopes the job fair will end that quickly for her.
Others like Beverly Part are trying to improve their current employment situation.
“I do have a casual job with Home Base Housing working as a shelter relief worker but I’m definitely looking for something full time and a little more secure.”
Keys Employment Centre organized the one-day Kingston Job Fair that had 54 employers on hand, according to staff.
Director of Programs Gillian Watters says she’s never seen a stronger job market than the one right now.
“This is the best employment market for a job seeker that I have ever seen in my 30 year career.”
The provincial unemployment rate is at 5.5 per cent and Watters says Kingston’s is slightly lower than that.
Which means employers at the job fair are working hard to recruit.
Cancoil Thermal Corporation has been in the Kingston region for three decades. In the last three years, they’ve almost doubled their workforce, which is now up to 110 employees.
They are looking to hire six production employees. Mario Ferrer, the companies human resources manager, says incentives are part of being competitive in the current economy.
Qualified skilled employees are in high demand, making it challenging for employers.
Maclellan Water Technologies is hiring field technicians to install and service pumps and water treatment equipment. Co-owner William Vander Wilp says the range of skills they need makes hiring a lengthy process.
“There is no water person school you can graduate from so we’ve got to find people who’ve got the required skills and then train them the last bit of the way ourselves. We need somebody who’s a bit of a plumber, a little bit of electrical, kind of an all-around good mechanical aptitude, problem solving skill set. ”
Rob Small has been looking for work for about a month and has an automotive diploma and four years work experience. He’s pleased with the number of employers he’s been able to make contact with.
Watters says one of the benefits of the job fair is it allows employers to put a face to the application form and potential employees have the chance to sell themselves.
“What we’re finding is that job seekers who might not have gotten through those electronic portals are now having an opportunity with face time with the employer, and it’s making a big difference,” she said.
Keys Employment Centre expect 1,500 to 2,000 people to have attended the one-day job fair, potentially filling hundreds of jobs.
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