Career fair opens for all students

More than 500 students gathered at the Red Dog Inn last Thursday to attend the Seven Generations Education Institute’s third-annual career fair.
“It’s to give aboriginal students an opportunity to see what careers are available and show them how to work towards that goal,” said Delbert Horton, chief executive officer of the Seven Generations Education Institute.
The career fair began three years ago as a job showcase for aboriginal students, who sometimes don’t realize the extent of what’s available to them.
“Sometimes they don’t think it’s possible. If you go downtown and go into a bank, you don’t see [aboriginal employees]. They sometimes feel that it’s not achievable,” said Horton.
But the number of aboriginal students continuing their education and beginning promising careers is improving, he noted.
“In the last few years, we’ve been able to see students in law school, as engineers, pilots, mechanics, licensed carpenters, that sort of thing,” said Horton.
Now that it’s moved to the Red Dog Inn, close by Fort Frances High School, the career fair also attracted non-aboriginal students.
“It’s becoming a real community event. A student is a student, it doesn’t matter if they’re from an aboriginal community or Fort Frances,” said Horton.
Many students showed interest in the booths set up at the fair, gathering pamphlets and taking notes as they chatted with the representatives.
“I think it’s pretty good. It’s giving me an idea of what I want to do,” said Dean Gibbins, a grade 11 student at Rainy River High School.
Almost 30 exhibitors from across the area participated, taking the opportunity to talk to students about what they do for a living and, in some cases, even offer jobs.
“We’re telling students about what’s available, including an entry-level program for aboriginal students,” said Sgt. Rasmussen from the Canadian Forces Recruiting Centre in Thunder Bay.
The fair also included a fundraising seminar to teach students how to raise money when starting a business, a career test to match students’ interests with a few career suggestions, and a technology workshop displaying jobs in multi-media presented online from Loyalist College.
With the help of Fort High staff and local business owners, the Seven Generations Education Institute is planning to host the next fair in the fall because it’s more timely.