Happy Valley-Goose Bay employers host job fair to entice service workers

A job fair held at the College of the North Atlantic Tuesday highlights the problem of finding service-industry workers in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

We're always scrambling, we kind of never catch up.- Rob Everard

The service industry in Happy Valley-Goose Bay has many job vacancies to fill. Hiring signs can be seen all over town, but business owners are finding it difficult to fill those positions.

The job fair was a one-stop shopping event with numerous businesses on hand and a total of 53 jobs up for grabs.

Keeping options open

Joshua Harmon was recently laid off and decided to check out the fair to see what was available.

• Happy Valley-Goose Bay businesses seek foreign worker-ban exemption
• Happy Valley-Goose Bay businesses struggling to find staff

While a job in the service industry wasn't exactly what he was looking for, it was a good networking opportunity and he's keeping his options open.

"I'm still looking for something that is generally a higher wage than typical service industry jobs … or perhaps something that I could go in a different career direction," said Harmon.

Rob Everard, owner of Tim Hortons in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, was just one of the businesses hoping to find new employees at the fair.

In the past, he has tried increasing wages, offering scholarships and bonuses to entice new employees.

"We participate in pretty much anything required to get enough staff to run our business," said Everard.

"It's always a challenge, we're a very busy business and we always need people."

Filling the Gaps

Everard said filling shifts is a juggling act that puts extra pressure on current staff and he needs to hire at least 20 people.

Both the Muskrat Falls project and the federal government's changes to the foreign worker program, which included a ban on hiring low-wage temporary foreign workers in regions with high unemployment have played a part in his struggle to find workers.

Everard finds himself taking different routes to fill the gaps.

"We hire family, friends, kids — we have as young as 14 now working in the store," Everard told CBC's Labrador Morning Show.

"Once upon a time that was unheard of, if you weren't 16, you didn't get hired."

In September, Everard's staff was reduced to 36. This forced him to reduce operating hours and close a portion of his store.

"It's not something we wanted to do but we had to do it, we could not stretch the people any further," said Everard.

This closure wasn't welcomed by customers and there have been complaints about service but Everard said that's a direct result of not having enough staff.

"We're always scrambling, we kind of never catch up."

Looking to the future

Everard added that he's been an employer for 31 years and hasn't seen it this bad.

He said that Muskrat Falls has taken many potential employees, but he hopes that will change when the project ends.

For Harmon, Muskrat Falls was never an option that interested him because he wants a job that makes him happy.

While he didn't apply for any of the service industry jobs, he believes the job fair gives employers another option.

"Even if they pick up only one extra worker, hey, that's one extra worker."