City of Kitchener aims to fill more than 200 positions for summer

It may be cold outside, but inside Kitchener’s Kingsdale Community Centre Saturday, there was excitement over the prospect of bagging a summer gig.

The City of Kitchener hosted it's summer job fair, offering over 200 positions in need of employees with varied skills and interests.

“Over the summer, we'd like to help people out, and we like working with kids, so this was sort of meant for us in a way,” said student Wania Sidhu.

The event offered an opportunity for young people to earn some money before they go off to college or university.

“Over the summer we have a ton of jobs available to young people, the parks and cemeteries area, aquatics, neighbourhood programs and services where we run summer camps and youth drop in programs,” saidJanice Ouellette, supervisor of children and youth services with the city.

"I think it's a really great wage and really respects and values the hard work that these young people do and energy that they contribute to the programs."

Job postings start at a minimum of $19.95 per hour which staff said reflects the city's commitment to providing fair compensation for the younger workforce.

“It's a really good pay for hourly and weekly and if you do a lot during all summer, you can save up for a lot,” said student, Alyssa Alexander.

Beyond job opportunities, students were also able to learn about financial literacy.

“I think they want to have a sense of independency, they want to feel old enough to cover for the things that they want,” said parent Ivanova Cedno.

Staff say the event goes beyond merely connecting job seekers with employers.

“Lots of wonderful experiences in leadership and engagement, I think that the job fairs are a really great opportunity for people just to come and learn what's available,” Ouellette explained.

The city urges people to send in their resumes and applications as soon as they can. The minimum age requirement is at least 15 or older, depending on the position.