Tuesday November 22, 2022 | SOOKE, BC [Updated December 1, 2022]
SOOKE SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS | by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
There was a strong and steady turnout for the School District 62 (Sooke) hiring fair in Sooke this evening.
The three-hour SD62 Career Fair was held in the foyer of the Edward Milne Community School (EMCS) high school, right after school dismissal at 3:30 pm, through the early dinner hour to 6:30 pm.
Tables were set up around the foyer. Job information was provided about and applications taken for:
- bus drivers (on-call positions available immediately, with opportunities to apply for internal temporary and permanent positions)
- custodians (on-call positions available immediately with opportunities to apply for internal temporary and permanent positions)
- education assistants (on-call, temporary and permanent positions available)
- noon-hour supervision assistants (on-call, temporary and permanent positions available)
There were two computers set up for submitting applications online, and an activity children who came along with parents.
At least seven of the 40 or so people who had attended in the first two hours actually had job interviews.
SD62 staff on hand to greet job-seekers and applicants included Human Resources Executive Director Fred Hibbs, Strategic HR Manager Nora Reid, and Transportation Manager Randy Cobb.
Five new hires (update at December 1, 2022):
As a result of the job fair on November 22, there have been five new hires, says SD62.
“There was strong interest from across the district with potential candidates traveling from the Westshore to attend,” says Manager of Strategic Communications, Kristen MacGillivray.
“We also saw an increase of applications for active job postings on Make a Future (recruitment portal) in the days leading up up to and following the career fair,” she told Island Social Trends.
Growing school district:
“Human Resources is supporting the growth of our school district,” said Hibbs, who joined SD62 in August.
“We never stop hiring,” he said. That includes teachers as the student population continually grows as more people move to the burgeoning west shore communities of Langford and Colwood in particular.
Hibbs was pleased that the CUPE 459 union also had an information table at the event, given what he describes as “a strong partnership” with the employee union.
Boosting the bus driver contingent:
In the past year SD62 has been working hard to maintain enough bus drivers to cover all the school bus routes.
There are 38 regular SD62 bus drivers. But Hibbs explained that at the moment there aren’t any ‘drivers on call’. People in those positions are needed when regular drivers call in sick or otherwise can’t come to work. The goal is to have five to eight ‘casuals’ on call.
“There’s not enough coverage every day,” said Hibbs, as parents well know. When routes don’t run that information is posted by SD62 in social media.
All bus driver training is done in-house. Successful bus driver applicants can start training right away (on the road and in-class), Cobb explained.
“The transportation department has had great conversations with potential candidates who attended the event. They’ve shared information with candidates on how to go about getting the appropriate licensing and training to become a school bus driver. They will continue to support interested candidates through the processes,” said MacGillivray.
West shore & Sooke footprint:
SD62 operates schools in Sooke, Colwood and Langford for the delivery of K-12 public education.
The next job fair will be held on Thursday January 26, 2023 at Belmont Secondary School in Langford, from 4 to 6 pm. There is ample parking. (Previously posted as being at Centre Mountain Lellum Middle School, but some construction and landscaping work continues there.)
More SD62 job information:
SD62 Career Fair in Sooke | Make a Future
===== ABOUT ISLAND SOCIAL TRENDS:
Island Social Trends reports on new about education and community in the west shore and Sooke, posting insights daily at islandsocialtrends.ca.
Island Social Trends Editor Mary P Brooke has been reporting on SD62 at the board and committee level since 2014: SD62 Education Archive
Mary’s four now-grown children attended schools in SD61, SD62, and SD72.
Ms Brooke was a trustee candidate in SD62 (Belmont Zone) in the October 2022 election.