Prospect Human Services hosts fourth annual job fair

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Rockyview Wheatland Employment Services, also known as Prospect Human Services, hosted a job fair in Strathmore at the Travelodge, March 1. 

The event, hosted in partnership with the Town of Strathmore, saw 27 actively hiring businesses from the Strathmore area in attendance, looking to engage with active job seekers. 

According to Jennifer Dost, workforce advisor for Prospect Human Services, over 180 people had walked through the doors of the job fair within the first hour of its opening.

“This (was) a really good opportunity for job seekers to stand out. Talking to some of these employers, they are not even looking at resumes online anymore because there were such a high number of candidates who just don’t call back,” she said. “(The employers) said they have had better success at in-person events when they can talk to somebody and connect with them later.”

This event marked the fourth year Prospect Human Services has hosted a job fair in Strathmore, though it is the third time the event has been hosted in person. 

Dost added organizing the event is only getting easier as the team continues to host job fairs, as the local population becomes more aware of the annual occasion.

The demographic of job seekers, she explained, ranged from local youth all the way to folks who were 50 and older.

“I think right now there is a disconnect in the labour market versus people – what they are looking for versus what people are hiring for,” said Wendy Smith, Program Manager for Prospect Human Services. “We do have a lot of job seekers looking for jobs that they haven’t found yet, which is why this (was) such an amazing opportunity to actually speak to an employer and (present their skills).”

For those who may have missed the in-person job fair, Prospect Human Services has a permanent office in Strathmore to help job seekers find postings, apply to open positions and connect with potential employers. 

Prospect Human Services also hosts a skill-based art program which teaches soft skills through art to help prepare candidates for potential employment opportunities.