Hundreds flock to Mandurah Forum’s job fair

The event was organised by the centre’s administration in an attempt to connect the region’s job seekers with the centre’s new retailers, and promised 100 jobs up for grabs. 

“With 15 businesses involved and more than 100 jobs available, this is a chance to make connections with potential employers, ask questions about roles and apply for available jobs on the spot,” Forum manager Jacqueline McKenzie said ahead of the event.

Around 3.30pm, before the event formally started, Forum staff reported almost 100 keep job seekers already lining up in front of the centre’s Coffee Club.

By 4.30pm, the queue had reached Coles, located at the opposite end of the shopping centre, and staff were reporting more than 1000 attendees.

Among job seekers was 19-year-old Reece McCarthy, who has spent almost a year looking for a job after finishing a certificate three in information technology (IT).

“I finished school at Year 10, I dropped out and then I went to TAFE, I did a course there and I finished the course and I started looking for work,” Mr McCarthy said.

“It was a bit of a struggle to find a job on the field because everyone is thinking that IT is the way to go and it’s definitely a lot harder to break in than people think it is.”

After trying to find a job in IT for several months unsuccessfully, he decided to settle for any job outside of the field but he hasn’t been able to find any yet.

“It’s been really horrendous, just trying to look for any work,” he said.

“I’d send an email out and then I’ll just get nothing back besides and automated message or not even that sometimes.

“[And] You don’t know what happened on your end, if you didn’t include enough in your resume or you weren’t bubbly enough in your 100-word or less speech or whatever, it’s really hard.

“It makes you wonder where do people find the other people that they hire.”

Lining up from 3.50pm standing several meters behind Mr McCarthy was Christie Watson, who came all the way from Bunbury hoping to find a job and settle in Mandurah. 

“I’m a mum of a young 19-year-old and he is starting at uni now so I’m looking at getting some income and settle us here in Mandurah,” she said.

She said she hoped her vast experience in retail and hospitality would help her get a position once she got to the front of the line, where she was committed to get to. 

“I’m going to be here right until 8 o’clock, I think it’s worth it for the opportunity, definitely, because employment it’s so hard to come by these days,” she said.

“I’m just going to go in and hopefully put on a good show.

“I think you need to put in for a chance at least, don’t you?

“It’s a little daunting but fingers crossed.” 

CommSec figures in August 2016 showed Mandurah had the second highest unemployment rate in the nation, ranking behind Outback Queensland. 

The data, which used statistics from the ABS, also showed Mandurah’s unemployment close to double the national rate at 10.5 per cent.