Kingsway Mall sees lineups of hopeful workers in ‘tough job market’

Kingsway mall held a retailer job fair in partnership with Prospect Human Services. Prospect helps teens, veterans and people with disabilities find jobs.

Job-seeking hopefuls lined up at Kingsway Mall on Thursday for a retailer job fair that aimed to match prospective employees with the mall’s stores.

The fair was held in collaboration with Prospect Human Services, a charity dedicated to helping Albertans overcome barriers in finding employment.

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“It’s a tough job market,” Dave Blackburn, the non-profit’s senior manager, told CTV News Edmonton.

He explained that back-to-school season means people out of school who may have been unemployed through the summer will be looking to fill roles left by seasonal students, making this week a good time to hold a job fair.

They expected it to be busy, Blackburn said, and as expected, long lines began to form right as doors opened at 2 p.m.

Emily Key was one of those in line, looking to enter what she called a “new space in life.”

“Not many places are hiring, and lots of places don’t tend to pick younger people like myself, so it depends on the place,” Key said. “So far, I haven’t had much luck, but I’m hoping that will change.”

Gray Golding is looking for work in the radio industry but said the opportunities have been slim at the moment.

“I’m still looking for work in the industry I studied to be in, but I need something in the meantime, so anything to help pay the bills right now,” he said, adding that getting out and applying was really all someone can do.

Blackburn said there isn’t one specific roadblock to finding a job, and that it depends on both employer and potential employee.

“The individual job searcher knows their story best, so [we] help them articulate that in the most professional way possible,” he said of Prospect’s services.

The charity provides a range of services that aim to help people build their skills and access opportunities.

They place an emphasis on workshops for teens, veterans and people with disabilities.

Prospect’s website said its goal is to connect job seekers with employers who are actively hiring.

While they weren’t sure of today’s turnout after the event was over, Blackburn said they’ve hosted job fairs with anywhere from 300 to 1,000 attendees.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Galen McDougall