Malaspina’s Parksville Campus Centre hosts Career Fair and Open House

Develop your career aspirations to fit the needs of the Oceanside community at the Malaspina University-College Parksville-Qualicum Centre Career Fair and Open House, Feb. 28.

This free event, which is co-hosted by the Parksville-Qualicum Centre and The Career Centre, is open from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with an evening session from 7 to 8:30 p.m. There will be display booths and industry representatives available to discuss employer needs and opportunities. There will also be Malaspina staff available to talk about post-secondary courses and programs, and Adult Basic Education staff to talk about how to upgrade courses to transition into university programs.           

“We are seeing tremendous growth in the areas of health, hospitality, tourism and the trades in the Parksville Qualicum area, so we’ve chosen these as the focus areas for the Career Fair Open House,” said Rod MacDonald, educational counsellor at the Parksville-Qualicum Centre. “The Career Centre and Malaspina have been community partners for many years and we thought this event could provide information about jobs, careers, and educational opportunities available to Oceanside residents to help them launch into their first or possibly a new career.”

“Labour market experts from The Career Centre, as well as industry representatives, will be on hand to discuss career opportunities in these key industries,” said Cyndy Ireland Bresden, executive director of Parksville’s Career Centre. “We’re excited to bring all the experts together in one place where they can share their knowledge.”

In addition to the displays, there will be structured panel discussions about key industries. The hour-long sessions start at 10 a.m. with Hospitality in room 262; 11 a.m. with Trades in the main floor forum; and 1:30 p.m. on Health in room 262. There will also be a light lunch served at noon in room 262.

The day will wrap-up with an evening session for parents wanting to learn more about Malaspina University-College’s programs, student services, financial aid, scholarships and application processes. The event runs from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in room 262. There is also a session for high school students at the same time, in room 263, where there will be a computer tutorial on course selection processes. The computer session will benefit students who want to learn more about Malaspina's website and how to register online for college and university courses.

All activities are at the Malaspina University-College Parksville-Qualicum Centre, located on the second floor of the Parksville Civic and Technology Centre, 100 Jensen Ave. East, Parksville.

For more information call the Parksville/Qualicum Centre at 248-2096 or go to www.viu.ca/parksville or www.careercentre.org.