With more than 800 foreign strippers unable to renew their work permits — forced to eventually return to their home countries — the industry is looking to barely-legals to fill its labour shortage.

But the approach, which involves targeting girls at schools and job fairs, has not been warmly received outside the industry.

Having the adult entertainment industry present at its job fairs wouldn’t be appropriate, said Ian Ingles, manager of employer services at Ryerson University’s Career Development and Employment Centre.

“It wouldn’t match up with the type of exhibitors that are there,” Ingles said. “When you have kids’ summer camps looking for counsellors . . . that would not be something that we would entertain.”

On July 4, the federal government announced a ban on foreign strippers entering the country to work, amid heightened safety concerns within the industry. Foreign nationals brought in to work in sex trade-related businesses are particularly at risk of being exploited and abused.

Strippers currently working in Canada will be allowed to continue to work, but their work permits will not be renewed.

Tim Lambrinos, executive director of the Adult Entertainment Association of Canada, said the labour shortage will force clubs to look at the next available source of supply: students.

Most strip clubs require workers to be at least 19 to comply with alcohol regulations, but this could change if the association gets its way.

“We’re going to have to hire an 18-year-old to work in a club and we’re going to take the steps to make sure they don’t drink,” Lambrinos said.

He said these recruiting tactics will be implemented “shortly” but was unable to provide an exact timeline. He has yet to contact job fairs or schools.

The Toronto District School Board declined to comment on the proposal.

Having a part-time job while at school is common for many students; some are clearly overworked in order to be able to afford tuition, said Morgan Vanek, a PhD student at the University of Toronto who teaches first and second year tutorials.

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Vanek said advertising such jobs at universities could exploit an already vulnerable population.

“If you’re approaching the student body because you know they need money, the problem there is that tuition is too high,” she said.