SLAAMB Career Fair showcases career and employment opportunities

Andre Gomelyuk - Staff Writer

The Sioux Lookout Area Aboriginal Management Board (SLAAMB) hosted a Career Fair ‘Choosing your Career Path & Future’ at Sioux North High School on Oct. 13.  The event ran from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and was free to attend. 
The event was tailored towards youth and students in Sioux Lookout and surrounding communities served by SLAAMB. Students from the Sioux North High School attended as well as students from Lac Seul First Nation, Pelican Falls First Nations High School and Grade 7 and 8 students from Sioux Mountain Public School took part in the event. 
The SLAAMB Career Fair hosted 21 employers and businesses with booths offering free lunch to all the guests, as well as employment opportunities of various trades and apprenticeship training. Each table had pamphlet flyers and take-home souvenirs to attract attendees to approach the table and communicate with the organizations.
Ziggy Beardy, Career Fair organizer shared, “The main goal of the symposium/career fair was to raise awareness and introduce the trades apprenticeship, mining/forestry/energy/service industries to the youth and public and to inform them of the various career oriented and employment opportunities.”
Micheal Etherington provided the keynote addresses for the day and Chelsea Young was the musical entertainment for the day. The Career Fair provided attendees with information on qualifications needed for various careers and how to set themselves up for future opportunities. Organizations shared about the different opportunities and possibilities of employment with their businesses. Isaac Kiewning, from Hydro One Dryden commented, “We are here to promote the ability of trades to the communities. Sometimes we have trouble hiring local people for local positions. We are promoting five different trades today, different skills, different qualifications. We want to let the local youth know the opportunities are here. Some of them(jobs) don’t, some you can come right into out of high school with a Grade 12 math, Grade 12 English.” 
Brenden Mawakeesick was in attendance representing Warrior Supplies, a safety equipment supplier and engineering firm from Thunder Bay. He said, “(I’m) here to show the career paths that are out here. We are looking to hire sales, we are looking for civil-tech engineers, on the engineering side of the department, geo-tech, and environmental services.” 
Liisa Hupka from Taranis Training said they train heavy equipment operators and professional drivers. “Based in Thunder Bay, we do work with northern communities. The importance of coming here would be, it’s a booming region, it’s always nice to see the young kids. What do you want to be when you grow up? Different ideas, gives them an option for something they haven’t thought of. Back when I was there, there wasn’t career fairs, and I wish there was, I could really learn a lot more. We offer post-secondary training. Our sister company Taranis Contracting, it’s a heavy civil construction company, and so with our training at Taranis, you can be interviewed and be hired on with a heavy civil construction company that operates out of Northwestern Ontario.” 
Janine Lavoie, a Physical and Outdoor educator with Sioux North High School, handed out Career Fair Scavenger Hunt forms to students, encouraging them “to ask some questions at some booths, get some information, and understand a little more about careers that are options in the community.”