South Shore Job Fair highlights need for in-person hiring practices

Organizers are calling this year’s South Shore Job Fair a major success after a strong turnout from both businesses and job seekers.

The event brought approximately 280 job seekers through the doors and featured about 40 employers from across Lunenburg County.

Jillian Jamer with Employment Solutions says the space was full and activity stayed steady throughout the morning.

“We had approximately 280 job seekers come through this morning, which is fantastic. And we had about 40 businesses represented from Lunenburg County,” she said.

Jamer says the number of employers was in line with previous large job fairs, but organizers had also experimented with smaller industry-specific events in the past year.

She says there was still clear demand for a larger fair that included all sectors.

“We really just put a call out to businesses to see who’s hiring now, because we have job seekers coming in every day looking for work in many different industries,” she said.

Jamer says job fairs remain valuable because many hiring systems are now handled online, which can be frustrating for applicants.

“Something like a job fair is really exciting, because it gives people an opportunity for face-to-face contact,” she said.

She says organizers will now follow up with employers to see how many hires result from the event, helping shape future job fairs in the region.

A similar event, the Queens County Job Fair, is scheduled for May 7 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Best Western Plus Hotel and Conference Centre in Liverpool.