There are many rituals to the fall season, and one of them rolled around again in the guise of Opportunities Edge, the annual high school career fair held at St. Peter’s College. Busloads of students converge on the campus to meet prospective employers, post-secondary advisors, and professionals all sharing future prospects for students approaching graduation.

The annual event is a mainstay for high school students in the Horizon Division. Career counsellors Paul Raycroft, Dave Neville, Christie Baumann, and Brent Loehr have been part of the mix for many years providing the school-based supports that students have come to rely on.

Loehr explains the value of the day.

“Opportunities Edge has been a great thing because it’s a one-day format where you can hit upon all these different displays and vendors, and you have these different sessions going on. Students who are debating certain career paths can gather intel on all of them in one single day.”

St. Peter’s College was front and centre with students providing information about their college and programming. Carlton Trail College’s Val Koroluk was also on hand guiding students through the industrial, technical, and professional options in Humboldt. There were plenty of other representatives from further afield. The University of Saskatchewan, University of Regina, and Briercrest College were in the house with displays, literature, and informative presentations. Students inclined to stay in the northeast visited with Cumberland College, and for those inclined to travel a bit further Mount Royal University of Calgary, the University of Lethbridge, and Minot State University fit the bill. Trades and technical interested students could check in with Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trades Certification Commission to learn about their popular Saskatchewan Youth Apprenticeship program and training through Sask Polytech. Those were just a few of the agencies represented. 

Whether it was agriculture, broadcasting, Armed Forces, or policing, there was something to trigger almost everyone’s curiosity.

Matthew Washkowsky helps to organize the event along with Student Services counterpart Krystal Shutko. Washkowski outlined this year’s event.

“This year we have about 40 vendors and around 400 students. They are all from the Horizon School Division and other schools in the area. It’s a great place for anyone inside and outside of school to look for opportunities for education or careers.”

Some of the students in attendance were “hard-targeted” on one or two options. Others browsed to discover new possibilities. Whatever the case, those in attendance enjoyed a meal complements of Colleen Bowman, CPA, and a full day of information and interaction at Opportunities Edge.