The city's 19th annual Youth Hiring Fair was hosted at Stampede Park on Tuesday and thousands of young people crowded into the Big Four Building to see what employers had to offer.
About 80 employers accepted resumes and some even conducted on-the-spot interviews.
“In this economy, job seekers are looking for any edge they can get,” said Jennifer MacSween, community relations liaison with The City’s Youth Employment Centre. “Leading up to the Fair, we had hundreds of youth visiting our Youth Employment Centre for free resume assistance, interview preparation and career planning.”
Alberta’s youth unemployment rate sits at 13.4 percent, up from 12.1 percent last year, so competition for some jobs was stiff.
"I'm a third year electrician and I've been on the job hunt for a couple of months now. I haven't gotten any bites yet. Thought this would be a good opportunity to make some connections and get my resume out there," said Eric Peltier.
“Obviously the hope is to get a job,” said Johnson Lam. “I researched a few companies that I want to apply for so I’m just going to go to them and hope for the best.”
“I’m hoping that I get at least an interview with a company. If not, I know what to expect now. I’ve been looking for a few months, actually closer to two years now, for a job because our economy has gotten worse, it’s harder for students to find a job,” said Elizabeth Hogg.
Employers included the City of Calgary, IKEA, Starbucks and a number of other local businesses.
The job fair also provided people with information on how to secure jobs and offered help with career planning and resume creation.
The fair runs from 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Big Four Building and admission is free for those aged 15 to 24.
