A group of Saskatchewan Polytechnic students got a chance to learn about potential career options while raising money for their graduation last week.
The students held a chilli cook-off for students in the natural resource technology programs that brought in speakers from the forestry industry to give the soon-to-graduate cohort a look at what life may look like after graduation.
“There are so many forestry careers we didn’t have a clue about,” said Troy Watt.
“We’re trying to shake as many hands as we can and introduce students to the foresters, and raise a little money for our grad in the meantime. It’s been going really nice so far. Everybody in the forestry industry has been good to meet.”
Brooke Field, the grad coordinator for resource environmental law and integrated resource management also spoke about the opportunities students were introduced to Tuesday.
“It’s a great way to connect with businesses who want to come to this event. They depend on it every year to connect students with businesses to get summer jobs and even full-time employment,” she said.
“There’s a lot of opportunities here students wouldn’t even know to take upon themselves to get to know. There are outdoor experiences, indoor experiences — there’s everything.”
Watt said that some opportunities come down through the program, but there is so much more out there.
“The Canadian Institute of Forestry alone, we had no idea what that’s all about,” he said.
“We have six presenters will break down who they are, what their companies do and how we fit into this. The more we can figure out and learn, the better off we are.”
While the event helps students by raising funds and exposing them to new experiences, it can also benefit the businesses that attend.
“It’s a great way to connect,” Field said.
“Businesses who come to this event depend on it every year to connect (with) students … to get summer jobs and full-time employment.”
