Megan Edwards and Alper Ozbuker attended last week’s spring job fair at Sen Pok Chin school. Finding work in Oliver has been a challenge for them. Photo by Lyonel Doherty
An Oliver couple that moved here from Turkey several months ago knew it would be difficult to find work, but didn’t think it would be overly challenging.
Megan Edwards, 34, and Alper Ozbuker, 35, were among approximately 120 people who attended the spring job fair hosted by Open Door Group and the Osoyoos Indian Band at Sen Pok Chin school March 30.
Edwards has the skills and experience as a teacher, but she doesn’t have the certification that Canadian institutions require.
Ozbuker has an impressive resume consisting of marketing, management and banking skills, but has only had one call-back (interview) after applying for 400 jobs since last August.
It’s a bewildering situation for him, and for many people looking for work in the Okanagan.
The unemployment rate of 9.3 per cent in the Thompson-Okanagan region was the highest in BC in February. But Open Door Group associate program director Melanie Guza said this figure is not necessarily reflective of the Oliver-Osoyoos area.
Guza said there are a lot of hospitality job openings, and job fair organizers were hoping to see more people (students) looking for summer employment opportunities.
“Overall we were happy with the attendance but hope to see even more people in Osoyoos (on April 14 at the next job fair).”
Oliver’s fair featured a variety of employers such as BC Hydro, BC Corrections, Miradoro Restaurant and Watermark Beach Resort.
Guza said Open Door Group recently implemented the WorldHost (customer service) training program, and can help job seekers with many aspects of their search, including interview preparation. In addition, they can support people who need retraining.
What many employers want is to find someone who fits their organizational culture, Guza pointed out.
And it’s good to have transferrable skills, said employment advisor Kendi Clearwater, who noted that attracting skilled workers is a challenge for many companies today.
But Ozbuker is still scratching his head, wondering where the roadblocks are coming from in his job search.
The PhD student in business administration is a professional soccer referee and singer.
“He is so over-qualified for the area,” Edwards said.
But Ozbuker is more than willing to change careers as he is currently applying to be a correctional officer at the new prison in Senkulmen Business Park. All he has left to do in the interview process is pass the lie-detector test, which he isn’t worried about.
Edwards said her husband would make a fine correctional officer because he has a very cool head on his shoulders. She admitted she could never do that type of work because if anyone called her a bad name she would cry.
Edwards is torn between going back to school or sticking it out and trying to find work here. Teaching is her true passion, and she would love to be an education assistant.
Despite the challenges, Edwards said she is not getting super discouraged. She noted that the staff at Open Door Group have been very helpful and supportive. “They honestly care.”
Over at Sprott Shaw College, career advisor Darla Lamberty said the biggest demand in the area is for skilled health care workers, considering that 55 per cent of the population is over the age of 65.
She noted that the seven seniors care facilities in Oliver and Osoyoos have a hard time finding employees.
Lamberty said Sprott Shaw (based in Penticton) offers a satellite course at Mariposa Gardens in Osoyoos. She noted the facility hired 23 of 24 students in the first group.
Besides the health care assistant course, Sprott Shaw offers a 75-week course in practical nursing.
The job fair also featured employment opportunities with the Osoyoos Indian Band. Anyone looking for work there can contact Leona Baptiste or Jarrah Feist at 250-498-3444.
One of the booths set up at the fair was Miradoro Restaurant, headed by chef Jeff Van Geest. He said they are looking for servers, cooks, dishwashers and bussers.
Van Geest received several resumes that day and hopes to find someone with the right attitude for the job.
While experience is certainly an asset, a good personality is worth its weight in gold, he agreed. Not so much charming, but someone with a strong character who is willing to learn and work hard.
Van Geest said all of his servers in a Vancouver restaurant were hired on their character alone, not their experience.
By Lyonel Doherty
