From the Sunshine Coast Daily:

MORE than 500 jobs will be up for grabs at next week’s Sunshine Coast Job Show.

Next Thursday’s event at TAFE East Coast’s campus at Mooloolaba will bring jobseekers face-to-face with some of the region’s largest employers.

Youi, Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service, Sunshine Coast Council and Unitywater are just some of the employers who will operate stands alongside apprenticeship companies such as Acclaim and East Coast Apprenticeships.

And it won’t just be an information session, as jobseekers will be able to apply for jobs on the spot.

Today Kenan Hibberd, Unitywater’s executive manager people culture and safety, explains what the organisation will have on offer:

Q: What are some of the jobs you are likely to have available? A: At the Job Show, we will highlight positions in project management, customer service, electrical/chemical/mechanical engineering as well as trade roles like electricians and fitters. We also offer opportunities for apprentices, university graduates and young professionals.

Q: Some of the issues you have had in recruiting the right people? A: We do find a lot of competition for highly-skilled workers, particularly for qualified and experienced technical and professional people.

And we can struggle with capturing talented people with experience and knowledge before they leave the Sunshine Coast for the capital cities.

Q: Why you think the Job Show is a great way to find candidates?

A: It will allow us to get in front of both active and passive jobseekers; it will connect us with the community and allow us to showcase the variety of job opportunities Unitywater can offer as one of the region’s biggest employers. We are also keen to build a “talent pipeline” with candidates for future roles that may not be vacant yet.

Q: What sort of people/skills/experience are you looking for? 

A: We are looking for people who share Unitywater’s values, are innovative forward-thinkers and who show leadership potential.

Q: Any successes stories about current employees? IE young person straight from school, now a highly skilled or senior employee?

A: We have seen apprentices become fully qualified, plumbers progress through the ranks to become team leaders, specialist staff become managers and customer service officers become supervisors.

JOB FACTS

■ Find employees: Did you know that more than 70,000 jobseekers visit finda.com.au on a monthly basis?

■ Find out how to attract the right candidate by visiting http://www.finda.com.au

■ Looking for a job: Check out the Daily every Saturday or visit http://www.finda.com.au

■ Mentor a young person: SCILS email [email protected]

■ Visit the Job Show: Register at www.thejobshow.com.au