'I see a lot of chances here': Job fair held for newcomers to Saskatchewan
Newcomers in Saskatoon are being given a chance to start their new life in Canada by applying for jobs thanks to a career fair at Prairieland, and it came out of a need as the province faces the largest mass refugee arrival in recent history.
Khrystyna Didyk arrived just one week ago, on the fourth charter plane carrying Ukrainians displaced by the Russian invasion.
“It’s hard. It’s really hard to live there now. It’s starting to be more harder and harder and when I come to Canada, I feel myself more free,” Didyk told CTV News.
She attended a job fair in Saskatoon and with a psychology degree she completed right before the war started, she’s thankful for the opportunity this event is providing her. She admits she is considering any entry-level job even if it’s not in her field.
“It helps me think what I can do. I see a lot of chances here,” she said.
She’s living in a hotel right now, but says, getting a job will allow her to afford her own place and get on her feet.
The job fair is organized by the provincial government, and it’s never been done on this scale in Saskatoon before.
“We thought it was a good opportunity with the displaced Ukrainians coming in on flights to get everybody together to help, displaced Ukrainians, but also other newcomers, who might be looking for work in the province,” Chad Vickers, Director of Employer Services, with the Saskatchewan Government told CTV News.
In an email to CTV News, Sam Sasse, Communications Consultant for Ministries of Trade and Export Development, Energy and Resources as well as Immigration and Career Training confirmed that this influx of newcomer Ukrainians is much higher than past mass arrivals with more than 2500 calling Saskatchewan home since March. In comparison, Saskatchewan received approximately 800 Afghan refugees since 2021 and 1,700 Syrian refugees since 2015.
Having the job fair now is a win-win given the current struggle employers face finding staff.
“We’ve got pretty good representation from a number of different sectors. Lots of construction companies, manufacturing and healthcare, and hospitality. Whatever your skill set, you’ll probably be able to find an employer,” Vickers says.
Prairie Meats hired a newcomer Ukrainian recently and she’s helping out at their table as an interpreter. It’s proving to be beneficial for this business.
“The interest level has been great and some of the qualifications that people are coming with is pretty impressive,” Joanne Ubell, Prairie Meats, Human Resources Manager told CTV News.
Ubell hopes to hire about 20 people as a result of the job fair.
Once the fifth charter plane of Ukrainians arrives in the spring, another similar job fair is likely. It will continue to help fill the need for employers and employees like Didyk, who’s hoping this is the start of a new beginning in a new home.
“Here I have a lot of opportunity to grow up and it’s just a good place to be here now. I feel myself safe.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.