Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Feb 08/02) - From welding to plumbing, and from accounting to teaching, there's a wide range of career opportunities out there.

It can be hard to learn about them, both for students, and adults perhaps interested in changing occupations.

Next month's annual regional career fair should help. Career Quest co-ordinator Jeanette Doucet explained plans are well under way.

"I've gotten all our invitations out and our registration forms, so we're waiting to hear back from people," Doucet said last Friday.

"We've gotten some response already, which is great," she said.

"It's probably going to fill up fairly quickly. Right now our main focus is inviting businesses to participate as exhibitors or sponsors."

This year's fair will take place at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex. Last year's event, also held there, featured 40 exhibitors. Doucet explained that more space will be used this year, resulting in up to 15-20 more exhibitors.

"We're really trying this year to make it more open to trades people, because sometimes there's a tendency to focus more on high end jobs that require university education," Doucet said.

"But let's face it, you need a range of all the options available to students."

She acknowledged it's difficult for firms focusing on trades to take part in the fair, as they often have few employees and can not easily afford to staff a booth for two days.

The fair will be open to the general public the evening of March 13.

"We will have door prizes to win," Doucet promised.

"We don't know exactly what those are going to be."