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Hundreds of young people filled a Toronto job fair on Wednesday in the hopes of snagging a summer job at the Canadian National Exhibition.
The CNE says it received nearly 50,000 applications ahead of its annual job fair, which is set to take place at the Enercare Centre.
That’s 10 times more than the 5,000 jobs the exhibition will be hiring for, said Mark Holland, CEO of the CNE.
“We know how important that first job is … it’s so essential to give them that first opportunity,” he told CBC Radio’s Metro Morning, adding that 80 per cent of people hired for the summer exhibition are young people.
“Part of our identity is making sure that we give youth that leg up and first opportunities.”
Given how big the job fair has become, Holland said they are expanding this year to include opportunities with other agencies, like Metrolinx and the YMCA, and additional resources, such as resume support and free headshots.
The CNE has 5,000 jobs to fill for the summer and the demand for those jobs is higher than ever. As CBC’s Greg Ross explains, it’s been a challenging summer for youth to find work as unemployment rates soar.
The CNE plans to continue growing the job fair in the years ahead, he said. The organization says youth unemployment in the Greater Toronto Area hit a peak of nearly 17 per cent in April of this year.
“Expanding this network means not only can we hire more kids, but also use this as a platform to give them resources so they know what they need to do to get that job,” he said.
The CNE says that along with its vendors, it is looking to fill hundreds of seasonal jobs, including cashiers, retail staff, game attendants, food service workers and guides. The exhibition says some jobs with other organizations and agencies will continue beyond the 18 days of the CNE.
The end-of-summer event kicks off Aug. 21 and ends Sept. 7.
Last year’s job fair also saw thousands line up as early as 5:30 a.m. amid a high level of youth unemployment in the province.
Job market has been disheartening: youth
Krishan Sirigana, an 18-year-old university student, said the job market is competitive and he’s struggled to find a position, despite applying for all kinds of roles.
“I feel a little disheartened about the results, seeing so many rejection emails,” he said. “I just want to keep trying and hope for the best.”
Anna Tefer, a 16-year-old job seeker from Scarborough, Ont., said it’s “crazy” how hard it is to find work right now.
“I’ve applied to over 50 jobs and still … no responses, no emails, anything, so it’s been pretty hard,” she said outside the Enercare Centre Wednesday morning.
Tefer, along with some friends, was one of the first people to line up for the job fair at 5:30 a.m., hours before it opened.
“I know there’s a lot of people coming and it’s first-come, first-served,” she said.
Lydia Tasfaye, 16, said the group arrived early to increase their chances of getting hired.
“I’m nervous, but also a bit hopeful. I know there’s a lot of job openings there,” she said.
Isaac Suthahar, 22, said it’s been “rough” trying to find a job with enough hours and a good management team. He said he came early to hopefully make a good impression.
“Even if I can’t find a job, it’s about [whether you can] keep pushing and finding something,” he said.
Favor Yonas, 16, said it was “great” for students to have the opportunity to also meet non-seasonal employers, especially for those hoping to work during the school year.
“It’s been really hard, I’ve been applying since the spring. I haven’t gotten any responses. I’ve been to many interviews, but then again no responses,” she said.
“I’m just hoping this fair gets me somewhere.”
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