Job seekers show up to learn about employment opportunities

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on March 6, 2025.

Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman Hundreds of local job seekers take part of Teamworks Career Centre job fair Wednesday at the Agri-food Hub and Trade Centre.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

Teamworks Career Centre gave hundreds of local job seekers an opportunity to interact with prospective employers during their annual job fair Wednesday at the Agri-food Hub and Trade Centre.

With employers from all types of industries present, those in attendance had multiple choices and the convenience of having them all under one roof.

Amanda Kristianson, a local jobseeker attending the job fair, said that with the price of everything going up lately, it was not only convenient to have multiple employers under one roof, but also cheaper to be able to reach them.

“To be able to just drive and come to one spot makes it so much easier,” said Kristianson.

She added that the fact that so many employers were in one place also made it easier for her to support those with her looking for employment as well.

“There are so many faces here that if I’m not looking for something, but I know somebody, I can turn around and say, ‘oh hey I think you should go and check out this place’ and be a support person for other people,” said Kristianson.

Kristianson said she was looking for the next opportunity to fulfill her career dreams and become a happier person.

“I have met with a few (potential employers) and there are a few that I am extremely happy to be around, and I am looking forward to hopefully hearing back from them and continuing to grow.”

She said that Teamworks is not only helping her with the opportunity to attend the job fair, but also by providing a course in finances that she hopes will help her find the career path she is meant to be on.

“I am doing the basic class at Teamworks Career Centre on accounting theory and quickbooks, so I would like to further that and maybe eventually become a CPA,” said Kristianson.

While some fairgoers, like Kristianson, knew exactly what they were looking, others were simply curious of what opportunities were available. That was the case for Cris Vetsch, who said they were looking to expand their network as they are not originally from Lethbridge.

“I’m hoping to make some connections as I’ve been out of work for about three months now, so I am trying to unlock my potential,” said Vetsch.

They said they are also taking a course at Teamworks and were hoping to find something in their field.

“I’m taking the office and accounting program at Teamworks and I am hoping for an administration role and eventually some bookkeeping,” said Vetsch.

They said that having multiple employers in one place was a bit overwhelming due to the amount of people and the noise, but it was also encouraging to know that there are many places that are hiring.

One of the people there looking to hire Brandon Simon, Norterra Foods human resources advisor. Simon said it was a great opportunity to put the company name out there and find employees.

“Coming to career fairs is huge for us, especially around this time because we are getting ready for harvesting season and we are looking for a lot of seasonal employees and we are also looking for some ticketed trades,” said Simon.

He said he had received multiple applications by lunch time, with some applying for positions that will be opening up soon.

With a threat of tariffs, he said it’s important for them to keep the company visible and make sure employees know that they’re open and looking to hire.

“I’ve heard from a lot of people already that we are a good place to work for and they have been referred, which is nice, so keeping up our reputation is important,” said Simon.