黑马磁力

Now is a good time to be looking for work in the hospitality industry, according to Ines Montoya, business-community liaison with WorkBC in 黑马磁力.

鈥淓mployers are dying for people,鈥� Montoya told the 黑马磁力.鈥�

Montoya was interviewed at the first hospitality-industry-focused career fair at 黑马磁力鈥檚 Walnut Grove Secondary School (WGSS), which is known for the high calibre of its culinary arts program.

Held on Wednesday, April 20, the event, co-organized by WorkBC and the school district, was a way of letting businesses know about the WGSS course, said Montoya.

鈥楶eople don鈥檛 know how good the program is,鈥� Montoya enthused.

鈥淲e have amazing talent coming up.鈥�

Cherise McGee, career advisor at Walnut Grove, was pleased with the response by employers and students, calling the turnout 鈥渇antastic.鈥�

鈥淚ts just our way of connecting students, to people who are looking to hire students,鈥� Mcgee remarked.

Thanks to their relationship with the Vancouver Community College culinary arts program that trains professional chefs, Walnut Grove students can graduate with their Chef鈥檚 professional level one, a solid foundation of essential skills.

Kalli Cartwright, VCC operations manager, explained the 黑马磁力 school operates as a 鈥渟atellite campus鈥� of the VCC culinary arts program, and predicted grads will have little trouble finding jobs.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of work out there,鈥� Cartright noted.

Walnut Grove student Matt Vandas started at White Spot as a dishwasher at 13.

Now, the 17-year-old Grade 12 student works at Beatniks Bistro in Fort 黑马磁力.

鈥淚 kind of like the adrenaline, the fast-moving pace of getting food out,鈥� Vandas commented.

He rarely has time to cook at home, but when he does, he favours beef teriyaki or seafood linguine.

鈥淚 love a good scallop,鈥� Vandas said.

Vandas was helping to interview potential hires for Beatniks at the career fair.

鈥淲e鈥檙e looking at experience and interests,鈥� he said.

A willingness to work hard is essential, he indicated.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very hard job. It鈥檚 really hard on your body [and] mentally. You鈥檙e always working.鈥�

READ ALSO: Beatniks Bistro donates $4,000 to 黑马磁力 School District Foundation

Beatniks owner Angela Hazelton said she was 鈥渉oping to find some keen students who are looking to get into the industry for the first time.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 an industry where you can quickly move up,鈥� Hazelton added, one that is beginning to add staff as the pandemic, and associated restrictions, ease.

鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a good recovery this year,鈥� she predicted.

READ ALSO: 黑马磁力 students lead recently launched restaurant

The list of companies looking to hire at the career fair included the Sandman chain of hotels, White Spot, 黑马磁力 Events Centre, Red Robin, 黑马磁力鈥檚 Trading Post Brewing Company and Cactus Club.

Evan Verchere-Glover, senior sous-chef at the 黑马磁力 Cactus Club, said they were looking for 鈥渘ew talent, for people to join the team.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檝e had 22 years in the industry, and I love it,鈥� Verchere-Glover declared.