Students and job seekers are exploring career options at the Level Up! Skilled Trades Career Fair this week.
On November 11 and 12, more than 2,000 students visited exhibitors with opportunities for hands-on experiences and career exploration.
"These shows give us an opportunity to talk to youth before or while they're deciding what they want to go do," said Greg Bobier with the Ontario Pipetrades Council. "We're looking for that young person that's really interested in becoming a plumber, that says 'you know what, that speaks to me, I would love to do that job, and how do I get there.'"
Bobier said the event also helps to expose to students to opportunities they didn't know existed.
"These are careers that are not on their radar and there's a whole massive world out there. Not everything is just electricians, plumbers or labourers or carpenters; there's a whole world of opportunities out there," said Bobier.
During the event, students could get their hands on a hammer to try out tinsmithing or use a virtual reality headset to operate a crane.
"We really want to make a deep impact on their career planning and course selection so that they can map a path forward that is the best possible route for success for them," said Antonio Sergi, with Skilled Trades Ontario.
The exhibitions were also open for parents and jobseekers to explore during an open house from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Event Centre at LaSalle Landing on Wednesday.
