2010 Second Career Expo – Thursday, Sept. 23^rd –  Kenora

28 Exhibitors and over 25 additional business and trade professionals will be on hand at the 2010 Second Career Expo, Thursday, September 23, 2010 from 12 noon to 7 p.m. at the Best Western Lakeside Inn & Conference Centre in Kenora.   This event has been designed for individuals looking to start a new career or enter a new industry – and for employers seeking experienced employees with the skills, knowledge and work ethic they require. 

The 2010 Second Career Expo provides employers with the ability to meet potential employees in person before setting up interviews.  It also provides the opportunity to promote careers and jobs in sectors that are experiencing a shortage of employees.

Most significant is the opportunity it will give all visitors for face-to-face contact with decision makers in a few dozen businesses and organizations. .For one day – in one location – there will be dozens of doors open with no phone calls or appointments required.

Visitors will have direct access to a wide range of potential employers, trainers, employment counsellors, business advisors and more.  They will be able to investigate job opportunities, explore new career paths and network with employers, business professionals and employment service representatives.     A list of exhibitors is available at www.secondcareerexpo.com and the NOHFC Connections Corner schedule and participant list will be posted at the event.

The 2010 Second Career Expo has been modeled on the Kenora Job Fair template, one which has proven to work and to deliver results each year for exhibitors and visitors alike.  Just as Kenora’s Job Fair has been, the Second Career Expo will be more than an event – it will be a service, one that is unique to Kenora and indeed to much of Northwest Ontario.

For further information contact:

Diane Schwartz-Williams,  Coordinator,  2010 Second Career Expo

Phone:  807-467-2444

Email:   info@secondcareerexpo.com

The Academy is committed to providing quality employment related program delivery and has a strong background in the design, delivery and implementation of employment focused training and job assistance programs throughout Northwestern Ontario. The Academy has been entrusted by the Federal and Provincial governments to sponsor and coordinate the 2007, 2008 and 2009 Job Fairs in Kenora as well as the  JobsNOW Employment Resource Centre and Assisted Services from 2005 – 2010 which proved to be extremely successful, and by all indicators considered a valued resource in the community.

Past projects include hundreds of JobsNOW Employment Workshops held in communities throughout Northwestern Ontario from 2001 – 2005, a Career Fair Review for Northwestern Ontario communities, Core Competency training for HRSDC staff, Professional Development programs, numerous Employability Skills Training courses and countless Adult Skills Training programs ranging from Computer and IT Training to Skilled Trades programs.

It’s not a job fair, it’s a a Second Career Expo.

Only weeks ago, Employment Ontario approached (the Academy for Technical Education together with)  Diane Schwartz-Williams with a proposition: Quickly organize a modified version of the Job Fair they have coordinated in the past, aiming at those who are retraining for a new career.

The result will be a seven-hour expo on Sept. 23 spread across the entire ground floor of the Best Western Lakeside Inn, targeting career employment.

It’s a different time of year,” Schwartz-Williams explained. “In the spring, you have employers looking for summer staff and so on. I’m expecting a different mix of employers because the people who are looking to hire in the fall are not an identical mix to who’s hiring in the spring.”

Her staff has approached 300 local businesses and public sector organizations, hoping organizations will be willing to showcase the many employment possibilities available within larger institutions and corporations as well as smaller enterprises.

“There’s a very strong focus on people who are focusing on their second career — maybe third or fourth career,” she said, as she, herself, has changed directions in her career a few times along the way.

Some vestiges of Job Fair will remain, such as the “Connections Corner,” which will host some 20 business and trade professionals to discuss what it takes to make it in the field and the steps to get there.

Prospective employees will be encouraged to bring resumes from noon to 7 p.m. as the first impression is the most critical when searching for work.

For more information, contact Schwartz-Williams at 467-2444.

Daily Miner & News 08/17/2010

Jeremy Suke is one of those people, and ‘getting things done’ and driving results—through collaboration, partnerships, and relationships—as a senior manager in the business centre sector, is what he is all about. With an enthusiastic and genuinely friendly attitude, Jeremy radiates a sincere passion for delivering value and benefits to his clientèle and colleagues alike.

Jeremy Suke came to the Academy for Technical Education and Vocational Training in 2008 after nearly sixteen years of managing various local businesses throughout the Kenora area. During his tenure at the JobsNow Employment Resource Centre, he assisted with many uniquely government funded programs, providing career assistance services including Employment Ontario’s very own Second Career Strategy.

In addition, Jeremy’s also been heavily involved with his own company specializing in Information Technology, web design, and web based marketing catering to international clientèle. His professional career also includes writing and editing services for various agencies, as well as a small career in freelance writing.

Diane Schwartz-Williams has over 30years of experience in marketing, retail management and event coordination. Having launched her career with 7 years as a Regional Department Manager for The Bay, Diane formed her own company, Reach Marketing and Business Services in 1984. Her broad spectrum of clients has included major corporations, small businesses and not-for-profit organizations.

Diane has been integrally involved in all components of retail/service businesses and project management including development and implementation of business and marketing plans, budgeting and budget management, daily operation, staff training and reworking of the plan based on observed results. With demonstrated strengths in planning, marketing, advertising, creative development, communication, attention to detail and follow-through, Diane draws on all her experience and knowledge for the benefit of each of her clients. Reach Marketing and Business Services (i.e. Diane) has been responsible for the successful planning and coordination of Job Fairs in Kenora since 2001.

For one day – in one location – everyone will have the opportunity for face-to-face contact with representatives and even owners of up to 35 businesses and organizations, as well as the opportunity to speak one-on-one with up to 20 additional business and trade professionals in “Connections Corner”. Visitors will have direct access to a wide range of potential employers, trainers, employment counsellors, business advisors and more. They will be able to investigate job opportunities, explore new career paths and network with employers, business professionals and employment service representatives. For one day there will be dozens of doors open with no phone calls or appointments required.

The 2010 Second Career Expo will provide employers with the ability to meet potential employees in person before setting up interviews, and its aggressive advertising strategy will give them an effective and cost efficient recruitment campaign. It will also provide the opportunity to promote careers and jobs in sectors that are experiencing a shortage of employees Worker layoffs and closures in key sectors throughout Northwestern Ontario have resulted in displaced workers needing employment, training programs and support services to facilitate their transition into other sectors. As part of their strategy to address these issues with employment assistance programs and services, Employment Ontario / MTCU introduced the Second Career program. The 2010 Second Career Expo will further support this initiative by showcasing success stories and offering service support of new graduates by providing an excellent opportunity to initiate networks with local employers and business professionals. It is also an opportunity for local employers to recruit trained graduates of the program.

The 2010 Second Career Expo will be modelled on the Kenora Job Fair template, one which has proven to work and to deliver results each year for exhibitors and visitors alike. Just as Kenora’s Job Fair has been, the Second Career Expo will be more than an event – it will be a service, one that is unique to Kenora and indeed to much of Northwest Ontario.

For further information contact:
Diane Schwartz-Williams
Coordinator, 2010 Second Career Expo
Phone: (807) 467-2444
Cell: (807) 466-3357 – this number for media internal use only
Email: info@secondcareerexpo.com

470 First Avenue South
Kenora, ON
http://www.bestwestern.com/ca/lakesideinn