Christine Stoneman says she doesn't believe jobs are that hard to find.
Despite Statistics Canada's most recent Labour Force Survey, which reported the B.C. unemployment rate at 6.4 per cent in April, Stoneman is still confident there are opportunities out there, even in Burnaby.
"There are jobs. I don't believe that jobs are hard to come by. I think maybe your dream job or a specific job could be harder to come by, but there are still opportunities," Stoneman, chief operations officer for GT Hiring Solutions, said.
On contract with the province, GT Hiring Solutions offers Work B.C. services at various employment services centres throughout the province. In Burnaby, they run three centres, all equipped to helping the unemployed find jobs.
"Those centres are full service centres that offer self-serve and drop-in services for any unemployed individual," she said.
People who visit these centres have access to an expansive job bank, computers, printers and other resources, including resume and cover letter help from staff.
"We also have employment services advisers that are able to take one-on-one appointments with individuals and provide more in-depth services," she said.
Advisers can help job hunters fill out paperwork or apply for government programs. Stoneman said that often these advisers will help individuals register their small business with the province.
"We try to have a whole menu of services but still address the needs of the individual."
And if the needs are specific, Stoneman said the advisers can help with those too.
The Province reported in March that many university graduates are struggling to find work in their field of study. Advisers at GT Hiring Solutions are trained to help these post-secondary graduates find work in their field, but it might mean some patience on the part of the grad.
"We try to work with the people to see what is in that field that you really enjoy, and what might be what we call 'transferable skills' and are there any other (related) industries or positions," she said.
The job banks available to peruse at the centres cover a wide variety of employment. From truck drivers to waiters to nurses, Stoneman said the intention is to offer it all.
"It's absolutely everything," she said. "Because we deal with the full population, it's anything from truck driving to working in manufacturing to exploring opportunities in the health sector to jobs in tourism and hospitality."
And if people are unsure about what type of career they're actually looking for, GT Hiring Solutions offers seminars where professionals, already working in the industry, come and talk about what people should expect.
Debra McPherson, president of the B.C. Nurses Union, is just one of the professionals who has visited the centres for employment events and seminars.
Stoneman said having real people who work in the industry helps clarify any questions or concerns prospective employees might have.
"Sometimes people underestimate their ability or their chances of getting something, or they overestimate, they think they could be that doctor but they don't have their high school science," she said.
Another service available to job hunters is job fairs.
Stoneman said they're similar to speed dating events. Employers and employees get a few minutes to check each other out, exchange information and find out what positions are available.
"We try to ensure we connect with the employers in the community," she said. "We would work with (job hunters) to see what employers might be needing someone with their skill set and their experience."
Some of the employers who have hosted job fairs with GT Hiring Solutions include COIT Services, Vancity and Fresh Slice Pizza.
It's been a year since the employment services centres opened in Burnaby and Stoneman said they've been less popular than they had hoped. She's hoping this will change over the next year as more and more people hear about their services.
"We are busy but, for example in North Burnaby at Rosser, we have a very big centre, so we've got lots of space for more people to come," she said. "The goal is to ensure that anyone who walks through we can provide services that will help them get employed."
The employment services centres are located at 726-4710 Kingsway St., 1901 Rosser Ave. and at the Fraser Works Co-op at 7297 Kingsway St. The centres are open Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday at 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
For more information, or to find out when the next job fair is visit gthiringsolutions.ca/blog.
