Students looking for job opportunities were able to access a wide range of local resources Tuesday as the Live and Work Kingston fair was held at the Athletics and Recreation Centre.

Hundreds of job-seeking students browsed and interacted with 90 exhibitors from various sectors such as industry, transportation, entertainment, military, community services and municipal government.

The fair is a partnership between Queen’s University, St. Lawrence College, and KEDCO and supported by the City of Kingston. This year’s event was the biggest ever.

“We’re seeing a lot of new employers this year. We’ve got a great range of small and larger business and community organizations,” says Ashley Johnson, Manager of Employer and Partner Relations, Queen's University Career Services. “When I talk to the employers here they are really interested in working with students and finding positions for students, and that is either paid internships or jobs or academic placements. So there is a quite a variety of things for students to do here.”

Students are interested in seeing what Kingston has to offer.

“I think it’s valuable. I love Kingston and I would love to work here,” says Devon Abel, MSc’15, who’s from Aurora, Ont. “To get the chance to see local places in Kingston is a great opportunity. I’ve enjoyed Kingston for my undergraduate and my masters and if I could stay and work here that would be amazing.”

She adds that she is looking for local full-time career opportunities in her field of rehabilitation sciences and that the job fair provides her with a lot of businesses to get in touch with.

That’s what organizers want to hear.

“We really work hard to make sure it is the premier event for students who are looking to work in Kingston to have that opportunity to speak directly with a large number of employers,” says Mr. Johnson.