Jessica Klinkenberg
Northern News Services
Published Friday, November 16, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Some students at last week's career fair at the Greenstone building had high hopes for their professional lives.

Marshall Meinema jumps back with a laugh as Yellowknife Fire Department's senior firefighter Gerda Groothuizen demonstrates some of the alarm systems that their equipment comes with. - Jessica Klinkenberg/NNSL photo

"I'd look for a job that would make a lot of money because I want to retire by the time I'm 30," said Ben Beaudoin, a Grade 10 student from St. Patrick high school.

Beaudoin was interested in the booth set up by NWT Accountants.

Nathan Joy said that his future career prospect would have to be a job he enjoyed and made good money in.

Both boys had different opinions about staying in the North.

Joy said he would definitely head south, while Beaudoin said it would depend on the job opportunities presented in the North versus the south.

Marshall Meinema, a Grade 12 student from St. Patrick high school, said he wants a job that provides fun, a challenge and good pay.

"Either aviation or military," he said of the two jobs that interested him most at the fair.

"(But) probably military because it encompasses the things I'm interested in."

Meinema said he wanted to stay in the north.

Janice Render, labour market co-ordinator with the department of Education, Culture and Employment, said that she was asking more questions of the students at her booth at the fair than she was being asked.

She said the main question she asked the students was what they wanted to do after graduating high school.

"A lot of them say they don't know what they want to do," she said.

She said talking to family members and family friends about their careers is a good launching point for youth to find something they might be interested in. She said another thing youth can do is volunteer, which provides valuable work experience.

She said the goal of the ECE booth wasn't to tell students about the jobs available with the government.

"It's to enlighten people about the benefits of career development."