Westlock Employment Services partnered with the Cup or Cone ice cream truck at an event on July 16 giving away free ice cream and advice for employers and job seekers in the Westlock community.
The event highlighted the latest job postings in the Westlock area in various sectors including food services, automotive, trucking, equipment operators, mechanics, agricultural, construction, manual labour, maintenance, customer service, housekeeping, retail, administrative, education, finance, healthcare and more.
Westlock Employment Services in partnership with Whitecourt Employment Services offers free resume/cover letter development, job search assistance, community resources/programs and job club support. Westlock Employment Services also hosts free employment workshops at their office every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Job postings in the area include everything from fast food (McDonald’s, Tim Hortons, Subway, KFC, DQ, etc.), restaurants (Westlock Inn, Boston Pizza), mechanic/autobody shops (Torx Lube and Mechanical, Semler’s, Westlock Motors, Precision Classic Restoration), trucking businesses (Kik Transport Ltd., North of 55, Kiewit), manufacturing/maintenance for various businesses (Atlantic Industries Limited, Precision Design and Manufacturing, the Westlock Hotel, AIL), cleaning businesses (Sunny Creek Cleaning, LCF, Daf’s Cleaning, VJV Auction Crew) and many more.
Recent data from the town’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) suggests notable labour shortages in trades and healthcare which was reflected in many of the businesses who are hiring. For example, the AHS listed multiple job openings in Westlock including Nurse Practitioner, Diagnostic Stenographer, Provisional Mental Health Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Licensed Practiced Nurse, Health Care Aid, Pharmacist and Food Service Provider.
The town relaunched the Rural Renewal Stream (RRS) program at the beginning of the month to help combat these labour shortages through the hiring of newcomers in Canada to these skilled labour jobs.
