Estevan is bursting with job opportunities, and there is work for everyone in the Energy City.
To help bring employers and job seekers together, the Estevan Shoppers Mall will be hosting a job fair at the start of March.
Jane Howard, marketing director at the mall, said it seems that jobs outnumber the unemployed five to one in the city, but there are still people who are looking for work.
Part of the problem for those looking for work is that there are just too many opportunities in the southeast, said Howard.
"It's that there are so many opportunities, job seekers don't know what's really out there. We grow so fast, and we're so spread out that we need to bring the job seekers and the employers to one place," she added.
Particularly in the last one or two years, the number of vacant positions has increased significantly.
"There is an influx of people into Estevan every day, and not everybody is qualified or wants to be a roughneck."
Howard noted that the Energy City can sometimes be looked at as a one-industry town that lives up to its moniker, but she added there is so much more available. Industries that have businesses setting up booths for the two-day job fair include the oil industry, along with health care, education and retail, to name a few.
With the amount of growth in the area and baby boomers retiring, the opportunities in all fields have never been better.
"You really have the world at your fingertips," Howard said. "The oilfield is explosive, (but) it's not all oilfield. There's the health region, freight, retail, grocery and home-based businesses as well."
Howard said she wasn't sure how businesses, that may be frustrated by the difficulty to hire, would accept the idea of a job fair. They have been receptive however, and she added that "any opportunity to sell yourself as a place to work is excellent."
The employers with booths at the fair, may not all be based out of Estevan, but all have offices here, said Howard, noting Service Canada as one example.
She said with the number of new job seekers out there, especially with recent immigrants, there is plenty of opportunity for employers to fill at least some of their labour needs.
As far as the future of the job fair, Howard said they will press forward as long as a need continues.
"As long as there's a need. As long as we hear 'We can't hire people,' it's something we'll continue to do."
Howard wishes to remind those looking for work that everyone has unique skills, suggesting that they dress their best and be prepared to sell themselves. Many applications are done online, but she added that having a resume handy is helpful, and in some cases, employers may ask to do an interview on the spot.
Booths will be set up down the mall's concourse for the event, which will run 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on both March 2 and 3. There is still space available for employers who wish to be part of the fair. They can call Howard at 634-2444 to reserve a spot.
