Job seekers turned out in their thousands at Site C Dam job fairs across northern BC last month.
A total of more than 5000 people turned up to turn in resumes in Chetwynd, Quesnel, Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, Prince George and other northern communities.
David Conway, BC Hydro’s Community Relations Manager for the project, says the amount of interest took them by surprise.
“We knew the number would be high but we were surprised by 5,000,” Conway says. “My understanding is they’ve also received a significant number of applications through the online process as well.”
And it wasn’t just individuals who came looking for work.
“There was a lot of interest in regard to potential jobs on the project. In certain communities, we had business to business opportunities to meet with the civil works contractors and we had over 700 businesses attend those sessions as well.”
The project is expected to require 600 workers as of this summer. Conway says those numbers will climb as construction ramps up.
“There will be other opportunities as the project moves forward. They’ll be looking at approximately 1800 people [at peak capacity]. And the project peak workforce occurs in years 5 and 6. So [there will be] continued opportunities for people.”
Conway added that those who missed the job fairs haven’t necessarily missed their shot at a job on Site C.
“The job cycle does not end simply with the job fairs. People can apply directly online and they can do that in two ways – they can go off of our worksite and people can apply directly to the prime contractors. Their contact information is listed on our website.”
Individual resumes and businesses partnership applications are still being accepted online at WorkBC and Employment Connections. For information about the types of jobs needed, you can visit BC Hydro’s website.
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