Career fair fares well

The Ratihén:te High School gymnasium was bustling with Kanehsata’kehró:non of all ages last Friday, and not just to see the robot dog roaming the floor - though it was a crowd-pleaser.

This year’s Kanesatake career fair was once again the place to be for those in search of their next steps, or at least some coffee and lemon cake. Meanwhile, almost 30 employers and schools set up booths in a bid to tap into the community’s homegrown talent.

“I think it’s an opportunity for the community to get together, to come together for something positive,” said Michelle Lamouche, manager of the Kanesatake Employment and Training Service Center (KETSC), noting that there were many local employers amid hiring heavyweights like Air Canada and Hydro Quebec.

“It’s positive for people to see they can also work in their own community,” Lamouche said.

One of the perennial community organizations at the fair was Reviving Kanehsatà:ke Radio (RKR) 101.7 FM, once again producing for broadcast at the school while also connecting with potential local talent.

“This is a great way to discover talent that can do radio,” said Karahkó:hare Syd Gaspé, president of Mohawk MultiMedia Inc., which oversees the station. Community members have contributed station identifications or weather forecasts this way, he said, giving them a chance to try their hand at radio.

“It’s important for us to be visible in the community as well,” said Gaspé. “It’s a community event, so we’re always present when we can be.”

This year, the station was flanked by local media students taking part in the media training program that is ongoing in Kanesatake. They were making their rounds doing interviews with vendors and participants to produce for radio.

Participants at the fair were community members of all different life stages, including Ratihén:te students who made the rounds.

“I’m just checking out all the opportunities I can do with my life. There are some interesting booths around here,” said grade nine student Kyla Sky.

“I think it’s amazing that we actually get to do this, because as Indigenous people, a lot of people don’t believe they have many opportunities in life, so getting to know that there’s all these people that are around to help and support us, I think it’s pretty awesome.”

Among Sky’s favourite booths was the one hosted by Dawson College, where she hopes to go after graduation.

“I believe I would study something in criminal law, but they also have amazing Indigenous programs,” Sky said.

Grade 11 student Tanner Etienne has already been accepted to Vanier College for business administration, but thought the fair seemed useful for other students who weren’t sure what they might do in the future.

“We were at school and they asked if we wanted to go to look, so we did,” said Tanner Etienne.

Natasha Gagnier, a local carpenter, was also among the community members checking out what the booths had to offer.

“I’m looking for job opportunities and new goals, just new things to do,” Gagnier said.

“I think it’s great that it happens once a year, and it’s open doors, so it’s easy.”

She was particularly drawn to a booth targeting, among others, those interested in woodworking. It was one of several booths on site to appeal to Kanehsata’kehró:non who might be interested in vocational studies or work in the trades.

“Trades are in,” said Joanne O’Hanley, vocational and academic counsellor at New Frontiers School Board, which offers three adult education centres specializing in vocational studies. “If you really want to have that hands-on opportunity for a future career, this would be the place to find that kind of thing.”

The schools even offer “student-for-a-day” opportunities so prospective students can see what a course is like before committing.

There were even more attendees this year than last, O’Hanley estimated.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity for us to get our message out there that there’s a lot of programs available for anybody who’s interested. You don’t necessarily have to be right out of school,” she said.

Connecting Kanehsata’kehró:non with vocational opportunities is one priority for the career fair each year, according to Amanda Nelson, employment and training counsellor at KETSC and the fair’s lead organizer.

“We try to get as many vocational schools here as possible because that’s what we focus on at our building, and then I reach out to as many local employers,” said Nelson, who even attends other career fairs to make contacts that come into play when Kanesatake’s fair rolls around. The effort is well worth it, however.

“Seeing the students and community members come out and support us and help us, it’s fantastic,” said Nelson.

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Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter