Joy Andrews

"We're looking for a broad cross section," said Joy Andrews, a client services team leader at the Career Centre."We're quite confident that it will fill up quickly."

Along with employers in customer service, the Career Centre would like to see employers in the heath care and administrative areas.

Construction employers are also wanted.Andrews said because construction employers are very busy, they can't always attend.But she said the Career Centre has some innovative ideas on how construction companies can still participate.

She said the online Career Centre job board has more than 100 job postings.

"The postings themselves are a thermometer," Andrews said."There are probably three times as many jobs out there."

She said employers struggle to connect with skilled employees.At the Hiring Fair, employers will meet hundreds of people.

"We're also working with the schools," Andrews said.

At the last fair there were more than 250 candidates attending, Andrews said.

"We have 30 employers," said Joy Andrews, the client service team leader."That's almost twice as many."
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Andrews said at the last hiring fair, more than 250 people attended.

"We're definitely aiming for more than that," Andrews said."We think that plenty of people will be coming."

The Career Centre also connected with the local high schools, which Andrews said seemed interested in attending the fair.

Most of the employers at the fair are local, but some, like the Middle Beach Lodge, from Tofino, draw employees from the central Island area and are attending, Andrews explained.

She suggests even if people don't see an employer they want to meet, checking out the fair and talking to employers they might have an interest in working for could provide some connections.

Joy Andrews ENET Regional Representative ENET Director: Joy Andrews show biohide bio

Joy Andrews has worked in the employment industry for over 12 years. She has provided one-on-one employment and career counselling, facilitated and developed programs and managed employment resource centres. She has served on the ENET board since 2007.

Providing employment and career development services for immigrants for over eight years, Joy developed comprehensive knowledge of the challenges for newcomers in continuing their career once they arrive in Canada. In pursuing solutions for these challenges, Joy actively participated in the Employment Access Strategy for Immigrants initiative, the Internationally Trained Professionals Network and the Skills Connect for Immigrants pilot program. She also represented the Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC at the Pan Canadian Sector Council and Immigrant Services Dialogues.

Joy now works as the Client Services Team Leader at the Career Centre in Parksville, BC. She is proud to call the Career Centre her home for many reasons. One of those reasons is the commitment the organization has to supporting the staff in their pursuit of excellence by providing professional development.

Joy holds a strong belief that career development practitioners should have access to networking for sharing best practices and innovative solutions as well as access to meaningful and relevant professional development activities.