The mere prospect of it, 35 jobs up for grabs at Lakeside Steel in Welland, drew a massive crowd to the Job Gym in St Catharines. Hundreds of men lined up along King St with resumes in hand, hoping for a shot at full time work, rare as it's been in Niagara.
Mr Trevor Kennedy, a steelworker from Niagara Falls, said that "It'll be really worth it if I get the job."
He was laid off a year and a half ago from his last job, and though he tried to hold his own by running a landscaping business, it wasn't the same.
For Mr Dave McPhail resident of Thorold South, the hunt was more recent. He said he was laid off from Welland's now closed Henniges auto plant in September. He added that "I knew Lakeside Steel were hiring, figured I'd just come down, put a resume together, wait in line and get an interview. I'm not the only one. There's thousands of people in my position."
Statistics Canada pegged Niagara's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate at a three month rolling average of 8.2% in October, down just a tick from 8.3% in September. The provincial unemployment rate in Ontario's was 8.1% in October while nationally it was 7.3%.
Ms Deanna Villella employment programs manager said that the Lakeside jobs drew hundreds by early morning. The agency had already processed almost 200 people.
By the end of the day, she figured Lakeside conducted 370 interviews and took another 150 resumes, including those from the hopefuls remaining when the job fair wrapped up. Some others didn't meet the company's job qualifications, but Ms Villella wasn't sure how many.
She said that "I think people are eager for manufacturing jobs, so we knew the turnout would be higher."
Ms Villella looked at the high turnout as a positive. And she noted it wasn't just the unemployed seeking the positions. Many, she said, came in despite already having jobs. They're dedicated, too, she said, with some arriving well before dawn.
She added that "I try looking at things in the positive, but a lot of these people have a lot to offer a company and deserve the opportunity."
Mr Mark Carl employment co coordinator at Niagara Employment Help Centre said that the job market is perking up a bit. But it's usually fragmentary, he said a couple jobs here, a couple more there. Mass hiring tends to be rare.
He added that "Manufacturing, warehousing, is coming back. Slowly. A lot of people are looking for machinists."
Mr Carl said that with the market so crowded, employers are looking for education, good skills and a commitment to continuing to learn. And he said keeping positive is key to landing the big job, because employers tend to identify it right away.
Ms Clara Fisher manager of Niagara College Employment and Training Solutions said that there are jobs to be found for those willing to look at other options. She said workers may have to take a job at a smaller employer or even take a pay cut, but at least it's work.
And she said retraining and second career programs are other options. So is switching to a different field. She added that "We're starting to see changes in that. People may change two or three fields or jobs in their entire history of work."
She said the job market is especially tough on older workers, many of whom she said expect to stick loyally with a company. While it's a challenge for young people, she said they're more likely to expect it. She added that "There are opportunities. It's a matter of looking at opportunities and trying to change what you're used to in the past."
(Sourced from www.niagarafallsreview.ca)
