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 Sarah Tsetso, foreground at left, and Virginia Tsetso were two of the applicants at a Travers camps and catering job fair in Fort Simpson on Monday. At right is Vicki Hennessy, recruiter and placement co-ordinator for Travers Ltd., and Alan (Julian) Landry, of the Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation in Kakisa. Hennessy and Landry were also planning to stop in Jean Marie River, Fort Providence and the Hay River Reserve this week to look for cooks, cook's helpers, kitchen helpers, general help, camp attendants and maintenance staff. - Derek Neary/NNSL photo |
Fort Simpson's Sarah Tsetso was one of about 20 people to pass through a Travers' job fair held at the cultural centre on Monday afternoon. She has experience working intermittently as a camp cook for Beaver Enterprises in Fort Liard over the past four years.
"Since they have no jobs over there (in Liard), I have to work elsewhere," Tsetso said, adding she has also completed Aurora College's office administration program but hasn't found work in that field.
Alan (Julian) Landry, oil and gas advisor for the Kakisa's Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation, which has a joint venture with Travers, said the available camps and catering jobs will be based in the NWT, northern Alberta and northern B.C. Generally employees work three weeks on site and then get a week off. Twelve-hour shifts are common in the NWT, but work hours differ south of 60.
Vicki Hennessy, a recruiter for Travers, would not disclose the wages her company pays. She noted that pay varies depending on location, work experience and the certification held by applicants.
Those working in a kitchen must have passed a Food Safe course, said Hennessy. Camp attendants should have their WHMIS safety training because they work with cleaning supplies.
Camps and catering work isn't just seasonal, Hennessy added. Travers services 350, 400 and 800-person camps in the Fort McMurray, Alta. area year round. Another 1,200-employee camp could open in the near future, she added.
Landry said the camps and catering positions allow individuals to broaden their skills and enhance their work experience, making them more employable for a proposed Mackenzie Valley pipeline.
Some of Monday's job applicants weren't prepared to report to a job site until January.
With the possibility of a phone call coming anytime, others, like Tsetso, said they were ready to go at the drop of a hat.
"I told (Hennessy) I'm ready to go anytime," said Tsetso. "Call me today, tomorrow... I'm gone."
At least one person hopeful to find work filled out applications for family members who couldn't make it to Monday's job fair.
Lorayne Moses, who works for the Liidlii Kue First Nation's local training authority, said there is a buzz in the community.
"A lot of people are asking about camps and catering," she said. "There's lots of interest."
