Students, alumni and employers converged on Dalhousie Agricultural Campus for the 9th annual Aggie WIL Internship and Career Fair last week, with nearly 400 students in attendance.
The event offered students and faculty the chance to connect with employers and learn about summer jobs, internships and career opportunities.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited to say the event gets better every year,鈥� said Joy Galloway-Jones, senior instructor, internship program. 鈥淚t started in 2017 with fewer than 15 employers and around 100 students. I look forward to seeing it continue to grow and provide a space for students to make valuable career connections.鈥�
For university and high school students
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More than 200 Faculty of Agriculture students, along with 185 high school students from Pugwash, Advocate Harbour, Northumberland, Trenton Alternative and Cobequid Educational Centre, interacted with nearly 50 exhibitors.
Alum Alec Huestis (BSc鈥�24) was on site recruiting for internships within .
鈥淲e鈥檙e looking for agriculture interns, which is what I did last year in Grand Falls,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 on the agronomy side of things 鈥� scouting fields, conducting different tests, seed-size evaluation. It鈥檚 a great job and a great opportunity.鈥�
Second-year Plant Science diploma student Kayla Cormier worked with McCain last summer and hopes it will open doors for her.
Kayla Cormier (left) and听Alec Huestis (Class of 鈥�24; right).
鈥淚 worked on the farm and stayed on to help with harvest,鈥� she said. "Over Christmas break and fall reading week, I helped with research on potatoes that were harvested. This past reading week, I helped prepare for this planting season. Once you begin with McCain, there is a lot of opportunity to continue growing.鈥�
This year, organizers were grateful to the Department of Agriculture for its sponsorship, which provided the opportunity for several area high schools to attend the event.
First time exhibitors
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Lisa Patton and Jacquelyn Hoyt (BSc鈥�04, MSc鈥�07) participated for the first time on behalf of the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and听听辫谤辞驳谤补尘.
Jacquelyn Hoyt听(BSc鈥�04, MSc鈥�07) and Lisa Patton with the Department of Agriculture.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to expose everyone to the possible careers in agriculture, and we were happy to help with bussing more rural high school students to the event as well,鈥� said Hoyt. 鈥淲e want to ensure that graduates are always aware of what鈥檚 available to them within our department.鈥澨�
Kayla Graham (BSc鈥�15) and Hayley Fulton (BSc鈥�22), regional program coordinators with , were recruiting for eight summer assistant positions available in Truro and across the province.
Hayley Fulton, Faculty of Science (Class of 鈥�22) and Kayla Graham (Class of 鈥�15) with 4-H Nova Scotia.
Christina White, human resources manager for Mowi Canada East 鈥� a salmon farming aquaculture company headquartered in Norway 鈥� said it was important to attend, as Dal is the only aquaculture school on the East Coast of Canada.
鈥淲e frequently recruit students to start in entry-level jobs as farm technicians, hatchery technicians and sometimes in fish health, as well as veterinary staff,鈥� she explained. 鈥淥ur technicians are out in the field doing plankton testing, water chemistry testing, lice counts and so on. We need quite a few students this season in Newfoundland.鈥�
Christina White HR Manager from Mowi Canada East.
Katherine Pike and Nikki Langille of the听听were also first time participants. Langille is the Clean Energy Facilitator and focused on promoting Indigenous representation with the Green Workforce.
Katherine Pike and Nikki Langille of the Native Council of Nova Scotia.
鈥淲e talked to quite a few students, other vendors and some of the faculty,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 know they鈥檙e bussing in a few high schools as well, so there was a definite effort made to get people here.鈥�