ECO Canada is celebrating the success of its award-winning Virtual Career Fair (VCF)! The event once again showcased why it was honoured with the Best Non-profit Event Award 2023. VCF 2024 concluded with over 3280 eligible registrants, 817 more sign-ups than last year!
ECO Canada VCF 2024 hosted 29 hiring employers, that collectively received over 21,210 booth visits and 1,336 job applications from highly skilled candidates. The number of job applications has skyrocketed, showing an impressive 138% increase compared to last year!
Highlights
Unlike traditional hiring fairs, VCF was hosted on an easy-to-use and interactive platform powered by vFairs. The online platform enabled attendees from coast to coast to join, offering easy access to all sponsor booths. VCF was open for all participants and employers, regardless of their location in Canada. ECO Canada also provided resources to ensure VCF was multilingual through a translation application.
Participants enjoyed stress-free access to all employer booths, with the ability to easily browse through the various companies as they could at an in-person career fair. Each booth was staffed with real employers that were readily available to answer questions and discuss career opportunities through chat and video functions.
Job seekers easily connected with employers, as they were a click away from exciting career opportunities. Without the hassle of long lines or crowded spaces, VCF 2024 offered a more efficient and focused experience compared to traditional job fairs.
Attendees collected career resources from employers through our digital swag bag function. This allowed easy access to all their documents from the career fair in one place. Convenient and eco-friendly!
“VCF has been great, easy to use, and eliminates the barriers of traditional career fairs.” says Andrei, a VCF 2024 participant.
ECO Canada is thankful for all sponsors that made VCF 2024 a success
ECO Canada featured a diverse array of highly reputable employers and sponsors in the environmental sector at VCF 2024, including:
Alberta Municipal Health and Safety Association (AMHSA), Atkins Realis, Atout Recruitment, Blue College of Water and Technology, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Careers in Energy, Carbon Lock Tech, CCI Inc., CBCL Limited, Clifton Engineering Group Inc., EfficiencyOne, EnviroCompetences, FLINT Corp, FME Counseil, GHD, Helping Nature Heal Inc., Hygee Energy, Matrix Solutions, M2M Tech, Narratives Inc., Primary Engineering and Construction, Royal Roads University, Stargaze Nova Scotia, Strum Consutling, Terrestrial Energy, Two Worlds Consulting, Vogtech, and 360 Engineering & Environmental.
More than a job fair, an educational opportunity
Useful webinars:
VCF was not only a platform for career and networking opportunities, but also an enriching learning destination. ECO Canada designed a thoughtful agenda of webinars and information sessions that reflected the needs of environmental professionals at any stage in their careers such as:
- AI Skills for The Environmental Sector
- Become an EP® in the Environmental Sector
- Shifting Careers in Today’s Environmental Workforce
- Improve your Resume with Training Solutions
- What Today’s Employers are Searching for in Candidates
The webinars were met with great interest as they amassed 1,441 views, 11% more viewers than last year. This year’s webinars focused in on subjects of interest for participants providing useful skills to advance their careers.
Watch ECO Canada’s VCF 2024 Webinars on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLglg41HS-PY6xaZmGbkQAq6QlDuN4DxRl
Live round-table discussions:
Participants also attended informative round-table discussions with real ECO Canada staff members to discuss any questions about the organization’s services such as:
- ECO Canada Job Board and the BEAHR® Program
- EP® Membership
- HR Services
- Employment Services
Host of the 100 Hour Net-Zero Student Challenge
Beginning on September 13th, 20 students committed their weekend to developing innovative solutions to the 100 Hour Net-Zero Student Challenge, demonstrating their dedication and creativity.
The exciting initiative provided students entering the environmental sector with a valuable platform to receive guided mentorship, connect with industry leaders, and showcase their skills!
During the afternoon of the Virtual Career Fair, the hard-working students launched presentations of their solutions created in the 100 Hour Net-Zero Student Challenge.
ECO Canada congratulates the top three final teams:
- First place: Team 9: Emmanuel Bannerman, Christine Lee Slew, Ameera Mohd, Edidiong Okon, Leland Sion, and Jake Slusarczyk.
-
- Revolutionizing Demand: Peak Management: Empowering Building Operators and Businesses Through AI.
Watch their winning solution here: https://youtu.be/ppHytD3K7Es?si=RKivkdNbi8YTAjSp
- Second place: Team 7: Yousef Bsoul, Zane Collins, Maria Hamlin, Joshua Phonchareon
-
- A Solution to Tracking Transportation Emissions
- Third place: Team 15: Rudy Nkemanjong Alemanji, Chloe Lin, Mia Panrucker, Guilaine Flora Wangap.
-
- Behavioural Science – Changing Behaviours to Reach Net Zero
“Have you ever wanted to make change but didn’t know where to start? It was only a few months ago that I was looking for opportunities myself, until I came across a unique event hosted by ECO Canada; the 100-Hour Net-Zero Challenge. What I believed was just a long-shot opportunity for my ideas to be heard, wound up being the most memorable experience that landed my team and I in second place for our innovative solution to a real-world issue, something I will treasure for years to come.” Maria Hamlin, student participant of the 100 Hour Net-Zero Student Challenge
“One of the most incredible parts of this challenge was seeing how seamlessly the students collaborated with their peers and mentors to create something bigger than themselves. Working entirely virtually and across time zones for 100 hours is no small feat, and I’m amazed by the students’ positivity, resilience, and the quality of the solutions pitched. Thank you again to all the mentors, students, and everyone who made the 100-Hour Net-Zero Challenge possible!” Katy Nedeljakova, Project Coordinator of the 100 Hour Net-Zero Challenge
ECO Canada celebrates all 100 Hour Net-Zero Challenge participants’ hard work and dedication to finding innovative solutions to real-life environmental issues.
| The 100 Hour Net-Zero Student Challenge was funded by the Business + Higher Education Roundtable, and with support from the Government of Canada | The Virtual Career Fair was funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Skills for Success Program and Student Work Placement Program. |
 |
 |
