Learning outside lecture halls

Students packed the RAWC last Wednesday for the annual Get Experience Fair, an event to inform students about prospective career fields and opportunities.

This year 886 students attended the fair, which was a little lower than last year’s turnout. Forty-seven organizations and programs attended the fair to offer brochures and chat with students.

“We’re very happy with how the fair went yesterday. It’s such a great opportunity for students to get out and learn about transferable skills, and to connect with possible organizations and programs where they can develop these skills. This fair is mutually beneficial as well,” said Michelle Atkinson, the coordinator of event and employment services at UTM’s Career Centre. “Most of the organizations are not-for-profits in the community, and it gives them the opportunity to connect with our engaged students. In speaking with the reps yesterday, the general consensus was that even one or two committed volunteers makes a great impact on an organization—and we have a really great bunch of students here at UTM!”

Some of the booths that filled the RAWC were Peel Children’s Aid, Employment Services, UTMSU, Employment Ontario, the Experiential Education Office, Distress Centre Peel, and more. These organizations offered opportunities for volunteering, internships, summer abroad programs, camp positions, work-study jobs, on-campus positions, and research experience that caters to each individual’s level of participation and the kind of careers they would like to pursue.

“[The fair] offers students various positions in paid and unpaid work so they can gain experience and gain skills they can use after university,” said Manreet Sandhu, a career assistant.

The event ran smoothly. It not only offered opportunities to meet with potential employers, but made students aware of the kinds of skills employers desire. Helpful signs sat on each table showing students the kinds of abilities they would learn from each position. Billboards lined the walls, advertisign paid opportunities and listing the numbers of employers of the organizations.

“There’s more volunteer positions and not enough paid positions for graduating students,” commented fourth-year commerce student Anni Huang. “I liked the UTM booths set up, but outside booths weren’t that helpful to me.”

Besides the current UTM students, the fair was attended by recent graduates trying to find paid opportunities or internships they could acquire with their degrees.

“I’m a recent grad, and there seems to be a fair amount of opportunities for me, by the looks of these organizations,” says Sunil Singh, who graduated from UTM two years ago.