MacEwan job fair offers employers with guaranteed positions ahead of summer break

Students and employers came together for the inaugural Get to Work Fair to explore seasonal job opportunities at MacEwan University.

University students looking for their summer work got a chance to apply to places actively seeking them on Wednesday.

The first-ever Get to Work fair at MacEwan University was made specifically to connect students at the end of their academic term to employers who have at least one position currently open for them.

“Many of them have a number of positions available for students,” said career services manager Karen Ramsey.

The fair featured booths from the public and private sectors, including federal government jobs, non-profits and energy companies. There was also an in-house MacEwan booth for students who want to work where they study.

The active openings meant students were able to apply for positions right at the booths.

Ramsey said previous iterations of job fairs at this time of year haven’t led to great results, based on anecdotal evidence from students.

“It’s a tough time for kids to find jobs. So we took a fair that wasn’t very successful, and we decided we had to focus on this, because not only are the students getting a job for the summer, they’re also developing skills, those core career readiness competencies.”

She added that many of the seasonal contracts applied to on Wednesday could lead to longer-term employment.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Evan Klippenstein