Parallèle Alberta will be hosting a free Job Fair at the Smoky River Community Hall in Falher on April 15 beginning at 1 p.m.
Parallèle Alberta Employment counsellor Quentin Dupressoir says the fair is a great opportunity for people seeking employment or employers looking for new employees to start dialogues with people or businesses that could be the right fit.
The bilingual event is in partnership with Parallèle Alberta, ACFA Regionale de Rivière-la-Paix, Nord-Ouest FM and Government of Canada.
“Parallèle Alberta is a provincial non-profit organization that supports employers, entrepreneurs, and job seekers across Alberta, with a particular focus on serving the Francophone and bilingual community,” Dupressoir says.
“Our mission is to strengthen Alberta’s labour market by making sure French-speaking Albertans have equal access to employment opportunities, and that employers know how to tap into this talented and often overlooked workforce.”
Dupressoir says when he started planning the job fair, he wanted to bring value to smaller communities that are sometimes overlooked but have a large economic activity.
“Falher made perfect sense for this first edition,” Dupressoir explains.
“The timing in April is also very intentional. Many farmers and agricultural employers in this region are still in the middle of their hiring process at that time of year, which means jobseekers have a genuine opportunity to connect with employers who are actively looking to fill positions right now.”
Moving forward, Dupressoir says there will be a focus on smaller Francophone and bilingual communities to help bring employment services and opportunities to them.
“For jobseekers, the benefits are both immediate and concrete,” he explains.
“Whether someone needs help updating a resume, preparing for an interview, or simply understanding what opportunities exist in their region, they will find support right here in their own community.”
Dupressoir hopes both job seekers and business owners, looking to find the right candidate, will be assisted in their endeavours.
“Through this job fair and the services that we offer at Parallèle Alberta, we can connect them with upcoming training opportunities and programs that could make a real difference in how they grow and develop their teams,” Dupressoir explains.
“My objective is for every person who enters that door, whether they are seeking a job or seeking to hire, to leave feeling supported, informed, and less isolated on their journey.”
Dupressoir anticipates there will be approximately 12 businesses holding a booth at the job fair. He’s hoping between 50-100 job seekers will attend to find assistance in searching for a job.
“But beyond hiring, we are also offering a Lunch and Learn session exclusively for the businesses in attendance,” Dupressoir notes.
“It is a chance to sit together, learn something useful, and walk away with new knowledge they can apply directly to their business, whether that is around workforce development, available programs, or other resources we can connect them with.”
Dupressoir urges interested job seekers or businesses to attend the Job Fair, to network with like-minded individuals and help to achieve their goals.
If you would like more information on the event or would like to register for a table, please contact Quentin at quentin. dupressoir@parallele-ab.ca.
Dupressoir explains Parallèle Alberta receives funding through federal and provincial programs that support employment services and Francophone minority communities in Canada. In the northwest of Alberta, their main program is called Cap vers l’emploi, which is funded by Employment and Social Development Canada — ESDC.
Emily Plihal
Local Journalism
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