UPEI Career Fair, February 2, gets new look

The 2011 UPEI Career Fair will take place on campus Wednesday, February 2 from 10 am to 3 pm in the W.A. Murphy Student Centre. This year's edition has a new look as the former Education Job Fair and the Career Fair have merged into one event.

School board recruiters for the Bachelor of Education program will join employers and recruiters who are seeking to hire UPEI students and graduates for either summer or full-time employment. The Career Fair is free for students to attend.

'This is an excellent networking opportunity for students and graduates seeking employment opportunities to meet with recruiters and employers,' says Kylah Hennessey, a career counsellor with UPEI's department of student services.

The idea behind merging the two fairs was to create a greater scope of employment opportunities for Bachelor of Education students. Dr. Ron MacDonald, Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the BEd Program at UPEI, adds, 'Employers these days are looking for a transferable skill set in the employees they are hiring. It is no longer the case that a Bachelor of Education degree is only meant to prepare a graduate for the classroom.'

This year's fair includes school board recruiters from northern Alberta and Quebec in addition to PEI's own Eastern and Western School Boards. As well, employment recruiters for organizations such as Canadian Security Intelligence Services, Career Connections, and Invesco will attend, with employment opportunities for UPEI students both on and off the Island.

UPEI students are also encouraged to start connecting and applying for different summer positions that can help them get the necessary work experience to enhance their UPEI degree.

The UPEI Career Fair is just one of the services offered to students by UPEI's Career Services Centre to help them relate their skills, and interests to career options. Other services include individual career counselling, assessments, presentations, mock interviews and access to resources.

For detailed information about this event, including participating employers, please visit the UPEI Career Fair website or contact the Career Services Centre at (902) 566-0488.