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Career Exploration Fair a success
Douglas College students discover job opportunities

By Eric Wilkins, Staff Writer

n March 5 and 7, amid a
whirlwind of pamphlets,
tables, and students,

the Career Exploration Fair was
held at Douglas College’s New
Westminster campus and David
Lam campus, respectively. At

the fair, students were given the
opportunity to learn about the
various careers available to them
while partaking in popcorn and the
chance to win free tuition.

The 22"¢ Annual Douglas
College Career Exploration Fair
was attended by all sorts of
organizations. There was a little
something for everyone. From law
enforcement and security, there
were, among others, the Vancouver
Police Department and Paladin
Security. A few of the financial
groups on hand included the
Certified General Accountants of
BC, Sun Life Financial, and World
Financial Group. Other notables

included Vancouver Coastal Health,
St. John’s Ambulance, and the
YMCA of Greater Vancouver.

Many of the professional
attendees were looking to hire,
and there were also several who
were offering more specialized
education. Co-op opportunities
were up for grabs as well as a few
summer employment positions. The
fair offered a veritable variety of
career options to students.

The Douglas College Alumni
Association, which serves “to
promote the highest standards
of academic education, training,
development, scholarship and
continuing education for students
and graduates of Douglas College,”
held the Career Fair.

“About 70 per cent of the
organizations that I spoke
with were in need of Douglas
grads,” stated Alumni Relations
Coordinator, Andrew Senjack. “The
Career Fair helps you explore your
options.”

A fairly constant stream
of students made their way
throughout the fair area, and there
was a generally positive consensus
among the student population.
“It’s a good way to see
what's actually available to me, as
opposed to hypothetical scenarios,”
commented one Douglas College
student. “I’m not looking for a
job right now, but it gives me that
much more incentive to finish up

 

my schooling.”

Others however, seemed to
be there just for a good time, “I
just saw that there was popcorn,”
remarked an unnamed student.

In a world where employers
are increasingly picky about whom
they hire, it was evident that this
was a room in where Douglas
College students were in high
demand.

 

TransLink continues upgrading infrastructure

Construction affecting many stations

4
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By Dylan Hackett, News Editor

t SkyTrain stations across Metro
Aven major construction

is underway to accommodate
the new gate entry, electronic card-based
fare system, “Compass.” The system is

modeled after many major transit systems
worldwide and functions much like the

with the introduction of the proposed

Evergreen Line within the next few years

adding millions of more SkyTrain riders
annually,” stated the initial business case
for the new faregates.

Construction for the Evergreen
Line, which will be equipped with
“Compass” electronic fare gates upon
opening in the summer of 2016, is starting

“The Evergreen Line includes a terminus stop at David Lam campus,
accompanying the currently under construction Douglas-centred New

Westminster station on the Expo-Millennium Line.”

famous London “Oyster” card system
where transit users tap their magnetic,
wallet-friendly fare cards at entry points
and tap off at exit. The gate system then
calculates the amount of fare zones traveled
and charges the user accordingly. This
will null the use of the current paper
transfer passes, effective in 2013. The new
“Compass” cards also boast the feature of
being capable of fare recharges via online
and phone updating.

The electronic fare gate project was
first proposed in 2009, and in the initial
business case released to the public, stated
that it was the necessary infrastructure
to accommodate the increase in ridership
expected to result from future development
of SkyTrain routes.

“With the opening of the Canada Line
in August 2009, SkyTrain patronage is
expected to experience further increases
surpassing a combined total of more than
100 million boardings in 2010. This growth
in transit ridership, and particularly
SkyTrain ridership, is expected to continue

underway this year. Last week, the British
Columbia Ministry of Transportation and
Infrastructure announced the posting of
the private contracting proposal for the
necessary widening of the Burquitlam
portion of North Road, the oldest road in
the Lower Mainland.

On the issue of the North Road
construction, Transportation and
Infrastructure Minister Blair Lekstorm
said, “We are making progress with the
Evergreen Line and the widening of
North Road will keep us on schedule.

We are working to minimize the impact

of construction on local residents and
businesses by keeping them well informed
of any potential disruptions ahead of time.”

The Evergreen Line includes a terminus
stop at David Lam campus, accompanying
the currently under construction Douglas-
centred New Westminster station on the
Expo-Millennium Line. This will also
provide easier cross-campus access for
students and staff, and, in most cases, will
cut the current 50-minute commute in half.

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