Archive for July, 2009

City of Nanaimo Employment Information

Friday, July 24th, 2009

Recently the City of Nanaimo Human Resources Department took some time to answer some employment related questions posed by Employment Consultants working in our region. Here are some highlights:

What job openings do you anticipate over the next year and what do people need to do to qualify for such positions?

It is hard to forecast how many/what type of positions we will be recruiting for over the next year. Based on last year, we exceeded 100 competitions which include both internal (majority of postings) and external vacancies. We expect to have at least that many competitions again this year and the range of positions run the spectrum of the city positions and departments. The qualifications vary depending on each position and are based on the job description that is posted at the time of the vacancy. We are having discussions about posting our job descriptions externally so that those who are interested in attaining a position will know what is required in advance of it becoming vacant.

Is it true that municipal government will be experiencing significant attrition due to retirement in the next few years? How can people position themselves to compete for these positions?

Yes, as are all industries, we expect to be facing a significant labour shortage in the future — particularly in our skilled positions. We hope to have our job descriptions on-line soon so that prospective employees can proactively work on attaining the qualifications for the positions they desire.

What types of year round jobs do you hire for? (Public works/maintenance, office admin, finance IT, and what else?)

We regularly hire casual custodians, labourers, and clerical staff. We start our selection process for summer labouring positions in early Spring (usually around February) and there are no specific times in the year when we hire custodians — it’s on an as needed basis. Our largest need for clerical relief staff is in the summer so we do most of our hiring for clerical positions in the Spring and early Summer.

Any advice for our clients seeking work or making a career decision?

We currently get many applications (from 50-400+) for each posted external position as there’s a lot of interest in the stability that the City of Nanaimo offers as an employer and the location is a big draw for highly experienced and qualified applicants. We’d encourage people to look at working at a municipality as we do expect a large number of vacancies to arise with the upcoming demographic shift and it’s a great place to work. However, to increase their chances of being hired, they need to ensure that they attain the qualifications for the position — not only by attaining schooling and certifications, but also relevant experience. To get the most relevant experience, they could look to working with a smaller municipality in a less desirable location and then apply to move here once they have the experience in hand. All of the externally posted municipal vacancies around the province are on www.civicinfo.bc.ca — this site is a great source of opportunities with municipal organizations and if interested applicants are willing to move to more remote locations, they would increase their chances of being hired with less experience.

What are the entry level positions within the City of Nanaimo?

CUSTODIAN

We are looking for:
• Completion of Grade 12 or equivalent plus successful completion of a Building Service Maintenance (BSW) Course.
• A minimum of six (6) months’ related experience.
There are three levels of training for Building Service Worker (BSW). The 3 week course that is offered covers all three levels, however the City only requires Level 1. The BSW course is available at Vancouver Island University.

PUBLIC WORKS

We are looking for:
• Completion of Grade 12 or equivalent supplemented with a minimum of three (3) months’ related experience.
• Valid Class 5 Driver’s Licence with Air Brakes ticket (Class 3 or 1 Driver’s Licence with air brakes preferred).
• Municipal infrastructure, refuse collection, traffic/construction and/or water/wastewater experience is an asset.
• Environmental Operators Certification Program (EOCP) Certification is an asset (Operator-In-Training or Water/Wastewater Level 1 or 2).

Posted in Municipal Employment | No Comments »

New Environmental Professional Certificate Program at VIU

Friday, July 10th, 2009

The Natural Resources Extension Program (NREP) at Vancouver Island University (VIU) is offering a new Environmental Professional Certificate Program to start September 2009. This 6-month professional-level certificate will provide students with leading-edge and practical environmental, fisheries, aquatic, safety and communication skills. The EPCP will focus on field skills training and applications. If you enjoy working outdoors in difficult terrian and have an eye for detail this might be the occupation for you. 

ECO Canada, an organization that represents the Canadian environmental sector, reports that approximately 10.1% of organizations from across Canada have one or more environmental employees. ECO Canada also publishes labour market information and in a 2007 report on Canadian Environmental Employment they reported that the anticipated growth in environmental employment in Canada will be slightly above the projected increase in total employment.

Posted in Employment | No Comments »

Service Canada Centre for Youth Casual Labour Program

Friday, July 10th, 2009

The Service Canada Centre for Youth, located at 201-60 Front Street, is open 8:30 to 4:30 Monday to Friday and anyone from 15 – 30 can visit their centre and use their job search services. This year the Centre is offering a Casual Labour Program.  Casual labour is any work that lasts less than 24 hours in total, it’s a great option to gain skills and make some money while you seek full time summer employment. Call the Centre to register (250) 754-0222, Local 477. To be included in the casual labour pool you need to call every morning and your name will be added to the list.

Posted in Students, Summer Employment, Youth | 4 Comments »

‘Paid’ firefighter training for 750 people

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

British Columbia will pay up to 750 unemployed workers to take wildfire suppression training to enhance the Province’s capacity to fight and contain forest fires. According to officials, the fire season has hit harder and earlier than average and our fire crews have been working extremely hard to put the flames out.  The Emergency Firefighter Training program is taking an opportunity to be proactive and provide unemployed workers with the skills to help fight fires should we face the need in the coming months. 

The program will pay qualified individuals $15 per hour to take the S-100 Basic Fire Suppression and Safety training course that prepares individuals to become emergency firefighters. The two-day course is a comprehensive introduction to wildfire suppression work and combines classroom theory with a hands-on field component. 

Once trained, individuals with a valid S-100 certificate can be placed on an availability list to assist fire centres and fire suppression contractors in the event that existing resources are fully deployed and additional contingency firefighting resources are needed. When deployed, emergency firefighters earn $15 per hour and typically perform mop-up, patrols, camp demobilization and other support functions under the supervision of experienced personnel. 

While applicants are encouraged to apply quickly, some of the training has already begun. Training will be delivered in regions across the province, with the most likely locations near the existing fire centres in Parksville, Kamloops, Castlegar, Prince George, Smithers, and Williams Lake. The list of communities will be adjusted to best accommodate the number and location of applicants. Additional course dates and locations will be considered if there is sufficient demand.  The training program is expected to cost $250,000 and will be coordinated by the Wildfire Management Branch. Further details and application information for the Emergency Firefighter Training program are available at www.bcwildfire.ca 

 

 

Posted in Education, Training | No Comments »

New Pilot Project for Cooks to Gain Credentials

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

The Industry Training Authority (ITA) in BC is undertaking a pilot project to give skilled cooks an alternative way to obtain a trade credential.

Called the Multiple Assessment Pathways (MAP) project, the process involves having a Red Seal certified Chef evaluate, through a variety of methods, the ability of a skilled cook challenger to meet the occupational performance standards set by the industry.

The MAP project is seeking cooks with various levels of experience. The ideal candidate is a cook who has learned most of their skills on the job and who has little or no formal training or trade qualification. A total of 100 challengers will be selected for assessment as part of the pilot project.

To apply to challenge as part of the MAP project or to find out more information check the go2 website.

Posted in Employment | No Comments »

Medical Office Assistant Program Offered at VIU Parksville Campus

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

No need to commute to Nanaimo, starting September 22, 2009, you can attend the Medical Office Assistant Program at the Vancouver Island University (VIU) Parksville Campus. This non-credit program is offered on a part-time basis with courses scheduled in the evenings and some Saturdays. Application deadline for this program is August 14, 2009. To learn more about the program and admission requirements call the Parksville campus at 1-866-734-6252 to register for an information session. Attendance at this session is a mandatory step in the intake process.

Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) is one of the employers in our area that may hire graduates from this program. VIHA’s Career website is a great source of information and it has a section where a prospective applicant can explore careers. I looked up the qualifications for a Secretary/Receptionist at VIHA and some positions may require the Medical Office Assistant Program.

Unsure whether this would be a good career choice for you? Employment Consultants at the Career Centre always recommend doing some labour market research before investing in training.  One way to do this research is to talk to people that work in the field to gain a better understanding of the job and how often positions come up in our area.

Posted in Administration, Health, Training, VIU | 2 Comments »