On February 29, more than 20 companies from northern B.C. will come to Vancouver to host the Job Fair of Northern BC.
Companies including Canfor and RioTinto Alcan will be reaching out to job-seekers who are currently living in the Lower Mainland, but willing to relocate to fill the increasing demand for labour in the north of the province.
The job fair is in partnership with Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) and funded in part by the Government of Canada's Foreign Credential Recognition Program and the provincial government's BC Jobs Plan.
The initiative is focused on promoting employment opportunities for skilled immigrants, recent graduates, trade workers, internationally trained engineers and engineering technicians.
Combined with the job fair, there will be career-awareness seminars among manufacturers, immigrant groups and other organizations dedicated to promoting northern B.C. employment opportunities.
Jobs, Tourism and Innovation Minister Pat Bell said, "My priority is to ensure that northern British Columbians are filling the job opportunities in the north – but with the projects that we expect to come online in the next few years as part of the BC Jobs Plan, there will be a need to recruit from other parts of the province as well."
Peter Jeffrey, vice-president of CME-BC, said the fair creates a win-win situation.
"We have industries in the north who are struggling to increase productivity and grow their businesses due to the lack of skilled labour. We have a large population of skilled employees in the Lower Mainland looking for employment. It's a good idea to put these people together in the same room."
For more information, go to www.emapjobs.ca/jobfair
