New grads hold on to hope at MUN job fair

Young university graduates who wandered the aisles of a Memorial Universityjob fair this week plied potential employers with their resumes, while expressing a range of emotions about the realities of hunting for jobs in a struggling economy.

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"It looks pretty grim," said mechanical engineer Nicholas House,who worked in the oil and gas industry after graduating in 2014, only to be laid off.

"Being unemployed in the province, it's definitely a little bit harder to live without an income," said House, who is now considering branching out into different industries.

"It's made me look elsewhere and even internationally for jobs."

Wednesday's job fair comes on the heels of a provincial budget that includes steep tax and fee hikes, as well as cuts to program spending. Larger-scale cuts to the public service are expected in the fall mini-budget and next spring's budget.

I'm trying to remainoptimisticThereis hope.- Nicholas House

As well, the oil industry has been beaten back by a sharp slump in prices, which has cast a pall over Newfoundland and Labrador's business community.

Nonetheless, House said he is determined to look on the bright side, and came to the job fair with that attitude.

"I'm trying to remain optimistic,"House said.

"A lot of my friends have had success finding employers in places like this. I'm trying to remain optimisticThere is hope."

Budget impact called 'demoralizing'

KellyBrewer-Balch, a mother of two,said she was excited by the opportunity to speak with employers directly, which is not something that can be done online.

"The chance to meet here and shake hands gives me an opportunity that is phenomenal," said Brewer-Balch, a Master's student in employment relations who recently completed a placement with the St. John's Board of Trade.

"There are a lot of positives that we can do, as individuals. It can be better," said Brewer-Balch, adding that the budget's effect has been "demoralizing."

"I won't lie. I am a parent of two teenage children, I have a spouse who is not from Canada, and we're in a position where I am the only person who can beemployed right now," she said.

"So if I can't find work, that makes a big difference."

Oil, gas companies scarce at fair

Bethany Thompson, who just completed a degree in linguistics, said her prospects definitely improved because she had attended the fair.

"It's a great opportunity, instead of just handing out resumes willy-nilly or sending through email," she said.

However, she feels that public service cuts are disheartening.

"As much as I would love to stay in the province, I don't know if I can," she said.

The fair attracted major employers, in fields such as insurance and finance.

Notably absent were large companies specializing in oil and gas.

A petroleum engineering student said the fair "doesn't provide much" compared to previous years, and noted that major employers that attended last year, like Husky Energy and Schlumberger, did not have a presence this year.