SLAAMB hosts successful career fair 

Tim Brody - Editor

Sioux Lookout Area Aboriginal Management Board’s (SLAAMB) Annual Career Fair was quite successful according to organizers and employers, connecting students and job seekers with potential employers and shining a spotlight on the skilled trades.
Taking place at Sioux North High Schol on Sept. 26, 28 businesses and organizations were present with booths. The career fair was attended by students from Sioux North High School (SNHS), Pelican Falls First Nations High School, Sioux Mountain Public School and even some students from Dryden visited.
Angus Chapman, Senior Advisor at Wasaya Airways commented, “I think the benefit we have is that we’re able to give information on what jobs are available within Wasaya Airways and also we were able to take in some applications even from the youth that want to work in the summertime.”
“It is a good opportunity to get employees and to get the word out that there’s jobs available,” he said of the opportunity SLAAMB’s career fair provides.
Northern Nishnawbe Education Council (NNEC) Human Resources Recruitment Officer Laurie Breton said, “I think this is a great opportunity for local business and organizations to come and advertise what we have to offer as employers in the community and try to share the jobs that are available with the qualifications that are stated and try to promote from within our local community because it is so hard to find housing in Sioux Lookout.”
Alex Graham, First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Program Facilitator with Skills Ontario was a special speaker at the career fair, promoting jobs in the skilled trades.
He provided students and visitors to the career fair with a general breakdown of what it means to be a skilled tradesperson, what opportunities are available for students coming up in the next few years and gave a brief overview of the different sectors of the skilled trades. 
“It’s kind of a call to action because there’s a great need in the coming decade for more skilled tradespeople,” he said.
Commenting on speaking at SLAAMB’s career fair he said, “I loved it. I’m kind of blown away because normally in my average day of work I see about 20 kids, 40 kids. It was so great because I could reach so many more people at events like this. It was awesome.”
His takeaway message to those who took in his presentation is, “Don’t let outside factors determine what you do with the rest of your life. So, for me, I was just strongly encouraged to get into university that I never really took a minute to figure out about myself. What did I really like? What kind of person am I? Rather than looking inward I was always just looking outward, so we’re still going to need doctors and lawyers, I’m not discouraging anyone from getting higher education like that, but it’s not for everyone and that needs to be clear to kids. If you don’t feel like sitting in a classroom is for you, there are other options.”
Sioux Lookout Mayor Doug Lawrance welcomed people to the career fair and praised SLAAMB for the work they are doing.
“I want to thank SLAAMB for the opportunity to welcome you all and say what a great job SLAAMB does of putting events like this on and what a great community partner they are, working on various projects.”
“I’m imploring you to follow your dream, whatever it is, and come and work in Sioux Lookout. There are opportunities,” he told those in attendance. 
Career Fair organizer Ziggy Beardy, SLAAMB’s Project Manager, said this is the fifth year SLAAMB has run its career fair in Sioux Lookout. 
“This year has been one of the greatest turnouts we’ve had so far,” he said. SLAAMB has also held career fairs in Thunder Bay and Dryden in the past.
“We’re an employment and training organization. We’ve been around since 1991, and we’ve grown considerably since then. Our mandate is of course to train people for jobs and at the career fairs we’re trying to interest the kids in different career opportunities, job opportunities, that are available,” he said.
“We have different training programs including the carpentry apprenticeship training program in Hudson; this is our fifth year. We’ve done two intakes of drywall training over there too. The end result of building the learning centre in Hudson is to have training in Hudson for different trades and different occupations,” Beardy explained.
“We reach our townspeople here, kids that go to school here, kids from up north, we want to introduce them to what’s available in terms of careers and jobs,” he said of holding the career fair at SNHS.
Overall, he said the 2024 career fair was very successful and he was pleased to see so many people attend.