The second of what they hope will be an annual Career Fair event, was staged by the Southeast Regional College at their Estevan campus on Wednesday afternoon and evening.
A total of 22 local businesses and industries set up information tables in the Saskatchewan Energy Training Institute's (SETI) auditorium and front foyer, ready to distribute information about their businesses to prospective employees.
Most of the attendees at the fair in the early afternoon were young candidates, several of them being high school seniors who either drove or were bused to the site so they could get a good taste of what life after high school graduation might look like.
Dave Harazny, the college's recruitment and marketing manager, who is moving into a business development position soon, said a second career fair was set for Weyburn the following day with 19 business participants. "Fewer tables, but a larger variety I think," he said, noting that the Estevan event continued to attract a lot of oil, gas and mining business participants, but there was a sprinkling of unaffiliated businesses, too at the Estevan event, which was a good sign of the region's growing business diversity.
"There is a strong emphasis on entry-level positions," said Harazny, who added that the career fair's inaugural year in Estevan saw just a dozen business participants and fewer visitors, so it was experiencing a strong natural growth in popularity.
"We have the expected oil, gas and coal industries, but then we have the City of Estevan participating this year as an example, along with several non-resource businesses."
The participants said they were looking for power engineers, electricians, heavy duty mechanics and technicians. At least those were the most talked about professions, but the wanted list extended well beyond those jobs.
Hank's Maintenance of Estevan was looking for mechanics to bolster the two dozen or more employee base.
"Some brought in resumes and were prepared, others will go online," said spokeswoman Ashley Krueger.
Brady Trucking's representatives Vern Carlson and Lyndon Forseth were looking for drivers, mechanics and welders for their repair depots in Halbrite, Midale and Weyburn.
Young Toni Hagerman of Redvers, who drove to the career fair, is heading into an eight-month power engineering course in Brandon soon, so she wanted to get a feel for what is out there for when she graduates.
Nicole Grass of Skylift Services in Estevan said everybody from swampers on up to crane operators were on their hit list. "Operators aren't in short supply right now though. We have 26 employees, but we generally have about 33 people on payroll," she said.
A couple of Yellowgrass Grade 12 students, Keven Kitchen and Alexis Hague were also exploring the market. Keven said she would be doing some pipeline work this summer and is enrolled at Vermillion College in Alberta for a welding course in the fall, while Alexis said she is slated for the University of Saskatchewan to pursue a science degree.
Kristen Tait, recruiting for Halliburton, hails from Edmonton. He said most career fairs he has attended this year have been bigger events compared with the Estevan-Weyburn model, but he was impressed with the interest shown at the Estevan campus.
"We're recruiting for all our centres, Edmonton, Estevan, Regina, and all positions really. Entry level engineers, heavy duty mechanics, electronic technicians, petrochemical engineers and techs, we're always hiring. I'd say we have 70 to 150 positions to fill at any given time. In Estevan for instance, we need mechanics right now."
When he isn't busy in the recruiting game at career fairs, Tait said he's involved in the company's fracking and cementing department.
By the time the Estevan fair wound down around 8 p.m., the business information agents had dispensed pages and pages of informational papers and pamphlets along with company brochures and dozens of business cards, trusting that their efforts would eventually lead to a marriage with prospective employees.
