Calgary's 25th annual youth hiring fair attracts thousands to Stampede grounds

Thousands of young Calgarians lined up outside the Stampede Big Four Building on a chilly Thursday afternoon, ready to make a good first impression and — hopefully — land jobs.

The City of Calgary's 25th annual youth hiring fair offers roughly 4,000 job opportunities with 81 employers, all aimed toward people ages 15 to 24.

For many teenagers and young adults in the city, it's the best opportunity to impress potential employers beyond a screen. That's especially important for those who might not have the experience or connections yet, but are eager to build their skills.

That's exactly the case for 16-year-old Paige Ivey, who made sure to arrive on site before the doors opened in hopes of landing her first job.

"I want to gain some more independence and some experience. But it's kind of difficult because a lot of places don't hire without experience," said Ivey.

"Being able to explain and talk face-to-face, it's definitely a lot easier."

She's been looking for work since last year's job fair, but she says her options were limited because she was so young at the time.

Now a year older, Ivey said she's ready to get a foot in the door.

"I'm very excited to be there."

Filling labour shortages

The annual youth hiring fair is an initiative of the city's Youth Employment Centre.

Since the fair's inception in 1999, roughly 1,900 employers have connected with 92,000 youth.

That's according to Leita Blasetti, community liaison with the Youth Employment Centre, who says her team prepared for 5,000 young Calgarians walk through the doors this year.

"The youth unemployment rate is the same as it usually is [at 13 per cent], but it's really hard and it's competitive when youth are applying for jobs these days. So this is a chance for them to get face-to-face and talk with employers, and I think that will help them in securing employment," said Blasetti.

As important as it is for those youths, Blasetti says this event is equally as important for the 81 employers looking for workers.

"We do have a lot more construction-oriented employers than we usually have."

A recent report from the city says labour shortages in the construction industry are projected to last for the next decade, while industry professionals say a rebrand is needed in order for Calgarians to see the trades as a good career option.

"We're hearing that about the economy and that's what we're seeing here today," said Blasetti.

Oversaturated market

For 21-year-old computer science student Jimmy Parkins, he says the problem is that "waves and waves" of people are competing for the same job.

He came to the hiring fair with his mind set on a few specific employers to awe.

"It's like an oversaturation of the market because there's a lot of youth, and there's always going to be a lot of youth," said Parkins.

"If you don't have nepotism or some way to get in with some friends who have friends, it's kind of hard to find something."

So how optimistic is he that he can land a job, or at the very least, an interview?

"I like to stay positive. I'd give it a solid 8.5."