Algonquin health students in high demand

Annual job fair brings employers to campus in search of skilled students and graduates to work in health care field

By Amy Allen

alle0193@algonquincollege.com

Students and employers converged upon the Marketplace food court on Jan. 15 to attend the fourth annual health care job fair.

Health care employers from across the region were invited to promote their hospitals and hospices to students and recent graduates in health care programs at Algonquin. Students were offered an array of potential employment opportunities to explore—everything from nursing at the Ottawa Hospital, to physiotherapy at Elisabeth Bruyere, to dentistry with the Canadian Armed Forces.

The nursing shortage in Ontario has proven to be very beneficial for health care programs in Ontario colleges. Jennifer Jarvis is the employment relations officer responsible for planning, organizing and promoting the fair. She said that employers are very interested in the fair due to the high demand for nursing students—so much so that they have been asking her about the fair since the fall.

“ The quality of Algonquin programs is what brings employers out here,” she said.

The fair gives students from a number of programs the opportunity to explore their future career options in the health care field. The majority of employers were looking for nurses and personal support workers, but Jarvis said that students from the culinary and recreation and fitness programs were also invited to attend.

Almonte General Hospital and Fairview Manor were looking for cooks to provide food services. Recreation programs are also in high demand for health care providers who deal with the elderly and out-patients.

Many employers in the health care field consider Algonquin a good venue for finding new recruits. Karen Rakowski, representing Bayshore Home Health, said that Bayshore has an ongoing association with Algonquin.

“Students become attached to Bayshore as part of their practical education,” she said. Many students stay on to continue their careers with Bayshore.

Laura Jones of Carefor Health and Community Services expressed similar sentiments about Algonquin health care students. She said Carefor is looking for people who are comfortable working on their own and in the homes of others. The quality of Algonquin’s programs prepare students for this work, and that’s what keeps employers coming back year after year.