As the climate crisis becomes more urgent and more green jobs are being created, there are still major gaps between green job seekers who want to make an impact in the sustainability and social impact sectors and green employers who are looking to hire candidates passionate about their sustainability roles.
According to the Student Energy Transition Skills Project Survey that surveyed 5,000 youth (ages 18-35), 48.39% of respondents said that lack of awareness about existing job opportunities is a common barrier that they have faced when looking for a job in the energy industry. Moreover, 44.16% of respondents also attributed a lack of available entry-level positions as a significant barrier to securing an energy transition job. These statistics are also supported by testimonials that the Green Career Centre team has received from youth looking for sustainable jobs in our research pieces.
In addition to the various green career development resources and opportunities that we offer youth at the Green Career Centre, our team decided to execute an in-person event to bring together youth jobseekers, green employers, and sustainability professionals all in one venue.
On February 18th, the Green Career Centre hosted our first-ever Green Career Fair at the Centre for Social Innovation in the Spadina Lounge. This career fair provided youth passionate about sustainability with the following benefits:
Networking with green employers and sustainability professionals
- A draw to win mentorship from sustainability leaders and paid professional development, which was sponsored by the Laidlaw Foundation
- A chance to win prizes such as a mini-speaker, fitbit, chromebook, tea, and gift cards to Kupfert & Kim, Parka Food Co., and Village Juicery.
The Green Career Fair was well-attended with 16 vendors and more than 250+ attendees from various educational backgrounds. Upholding diversity, equity and inclusion is one of our core values, and we were grateful to be joined by underrepresented communities. Out of all of the attendees, 60% identified as BIPOC and 30% were newcomers/international students.
The Green Career Centre received very positive feedback from attendees, who appreciated the chance to network with sustainability professionals and green employers that identify with their passion for sustainability. The event was praised for its organization, handling of logistics, and helpfulness. The Green Career Centre team was also praised for fostering an environment of accommodation and inclusion.
“Attending the Green Career Fair was a wonderful opportunity to meet so many energized and passionate young professionals! It was an honour to connect with tomorrow’s leaders, share opportunities they can engage with, and start building relationships with the attendees and vendors. The GCC team were so helpful and welcoming, ensuring the atmosphere of the event was never stuffy.”
– Attendee
Our vendors also found the event to be an excellent way of finding youth who are a great fit for their organization.
“There were so many participants! It was amazing to hear from students and professionals. I got to know the challenges and bottlenecks in their career paths, and found that my organization was an incredible fit for many of them. We got 80+ responses to our “Sign up to learn more” Google Form, which was INCREDIBLE. We have a built-in audience for our program already!” – Vendor
In addition to other features of the event, many attendees found the mentorship draw to be a unique feature for a career fair and an excellent way to jumpstart their career development.
“The event was very well organized. I think it was very innovative that this fair also featured the opportunity to win a mentorship opportunity along with a sum that could help students kickstart their journey. Thanks for a great event!” – Attendee
Many attendees found the lunch offered by Newcomer Kitchen, a social enterprise that provides Syrian refugee women with meaningful work, to be great! Many appreciated that the lunch was vegan and plastic-free. The remaining food from Newcomer Kitchen was donated to a local women’s shelter.
We want to thank all of our sponsors for supporting the Green Career Fair:
From the top left to the bottom right: Riipen, Foundation for Environmental Stewardship (FES), Regenesis, Venture for Canada, Basil Box, Laidlaw Foundation, Centre for Social Innovation (CSI), Genuine Tea, StickerGiant, Sweets from the Earth, Kupfert & Kim, DAVIDsTEA, Village Juicery, Parka Food Co, and Longo’s.
We also want to thank all of our vendors for partnering with us for this event:
From the top left to the bottom right: Outward Bound Canada, Youth Challenge International, PGL Environmental Consultants, Emterra Group – Ryse Solutions Inc., TakingITGlobal, 5n2, LEAF – Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests, HOUSE Canada, Relay Education, Community Climate Council, Toronto Green Community, Baseload Power Corp, Agincourt Community Services Association, and Meridian Credit Union.
We also want to thank our wonderful team for working so hard to make this event happen.
If you missed the Green Career Fair, no worries! After six months in the making of this career fair, we can’t wait for the next one. We have various resources and opportunities for youth to achieve their sustainability career goals and join future events! Follow us on social media to keep up with our posts on new green job opportunities and career development resources.