Regional Career Fair Attracts 350 Students

Regional Career Fair Attracts 350 Students

Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser

Smoky Lake played host to a regional career fair on April 21. It brought 350 Grade 7-12 students from four schools in the northeast region.

The event was hosted by CAREERS: The Next Generation, Aspen View Schools, Lakeland Catholic Schools, and Community Development Committee who all came together to give rural students from Smoky Lake, Thorhild, Vilna and Waskateneau areas the perfect opportunity to learn from current professionals and gain invaluable insight into what it is actually like to work in a variety of industries.

“We are thrilled to be able to partner with so many organizations and bring this event to the students of Aspen View and Lakeland Catholic Schools,” stated Taryn McDonald, CAREERS Program Coordinator.

She went on to say, “This career fair was the first of its kind within the region where we used both the traditional model of a career fair and mixed it with some hands-on experiences for the students. They were able to experience some real tasks from employers and had the opportunity to try out some of the tasks. We also coupled it with some panel sessions where they were able to hear from experts in the field about what their career is really. We covered many of the different industries that are relevant to the area and Alberta’s economic recovery. We hope that the students in attendance today saw the benefit of exploring different careers and that they are a vital part of Alberta’s future. From the knowledge they learned at this fair, they can narrow down what industry interests them and CAREERS can provide hands-on experience through a paid internship this summer at a local employer.

Attracting more youth to skilled trades is also vital to Alberta’s economic recovery. An estimated 45,000 workers will be needed over the next decade to fill a significant gap left by the province’s retiring Boomers,” added McDonald.

H. A. Kostash School Grade 8 students Brooks Goodon and Finn Balan test out the fire extinguishers.

(Michelle Pinon/Photo)

“The Smoky Lake Regional Community Development Committee supported this event as part of the larger Regional economic development strategy which encourages youth engagement and entrepreneurship. This event, one of many we hope, across the NE, was a great example of collaboration between our post-secondary institutions, school divisions, businesses and individuals. We hope the students were inspired by the presentations and their conversations with all the representatives,” stated Michelle Wright, Community Economic Development Officer for the Smoky Lake Region.

Trysten Brain, a Grade 10 student from Smoky Lake, said he really enjoyed the interactive aspects of the career fair, and was excited to learn about some of the opportunities that were available during the event.

Joseph Velthusis, a Grade 8 student from Thorhild School, is a lover of all things outdoors and enjoyed learning more about a career in fish and wildlife from local officers.

Portage College welding demonstration.

(Michelle Pinon/Photo)

Spencer Kotylak, joined the Smoky Lake County Fire Dept. when he was 16-years-old. He said it has been very fulfilling and said it is a good stepping stone for students. “In most cases fire departments provide free training and firefighters are paid for calls which is a good incentive,” said Kotylak, who now serves as Deputy Fire Chief.

There were several panel discussions held throughout the career fair, with guest speakers James Leppan with Travel

Alberta, Nancy Broadbent with Portage College, and Leon Boychuk-Hunter with Metis Crossing. They told students about the variety of different areas and aspects of the tourism industry and encouraged them to be open to new possibilities and experiences.