As many people in Alberta struggle to find full-time employment, one project in Calgary has contractors hiring hundreds.
A job fair organized by KGL Constructors on Saturday matched potential employees with construction companies set to work on the southwest portion of the ring road.
Ian McColl, a KGL spokesperson, said the construction joint venture is looking to hire 600 people.
“We’re predominantly looking for craft workers, some office people and engineers,” said McColl. “We’re really looking for general construction labourers and heavy equipment operators.”
McColl added that most of the people that have shown interest are from the struggling oil and gas sector.
“A lot of people who were previously working up north that want to stay closer to home are coming through the doors — people with good experience and people that can hit the ground running,” McColl said.
That’s welcome news for Tyler Vye, a sheet metal worker who has had trouble finding full-time work. Vye said the opportunity to have a guaranteed paycheque would ease financial tensions for his family.
“It would stabilize everything for me and my wife,” Vye said. “We’re are living paycheque to paycheque now. To know I’d have steady work for the next three years… I’m excited.”
Vye applied for several positions for the ring road project, saying he knows he may not get to continue working in the sheet metal trade.
“You can’t just stick to one thing anymore. You’ve got to be open,” said Vye. “You’ve got to change with the diversity of Alberta.”
KGL said between 550 and 600 people took part in Saturday’s job fair and that hundreds are now one step closer to being hired.
Potential employees who passed screening will find out in early March whether they’ll be brought on board. Work is expected to start by April and the ring road is slated to be completed in the fall of 2021.
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