"Prepare to be Hired" is the motto for the KEYS Job Centre Kingston 2017 Job Fair on Wednesday at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour.

The event goes from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

KEYS is advertising that hundreds of positions are available and prospective employees should bring their resumes and "prepare to be hired."

Approximately 40 employers will be at the fair, including the City of Kingston, Invista, StarTek, the Ministry of Correctional Services, St. Elizabeth home health care, Commissionaires of Canada, Canadian Forces recruiting, St. Lawrence Parks Commission, and Kingston 1000 Island Cruises and Trolleys, to name a few.

There will be a variety of restaurant and retail positions available as well.

"Everyone who is coming is actively hiring, and more than one person," Gillian Watters, a program director at KEYS, said on Monday.

Watters and Anne Vincent, employer liaison at KEYS, are the main organizers of the fair.

about half a dozen members of KEYS employers services team are behind the fair with about 10 to 15 staff helping out at the Wednesday event.

Employers are hiring seasonal workers, summer job students, full- and part-time positions as well.

"It’s multiple employers with a variety of positions that are available to students, people with lots of skills and entry-level positions, there’s a real variety so there’s something for everybody," Watters said.

"Many employers will be hiring that day and some want to take you on the spot."

Even if an applicant believes they’re not qualified to work at a certain company, it’s a good chance, Watters said, to talk to employers and learn about their company.

"It’s a wonderful opportunity for employers to see the talent in Kingston," Watters said.

Watters added that being bilingual in English and French is an asset, especially for those who want to work in the tourist sector.

"We’re really promoting Kingston as a bilingual city," she said.

Although Kingston’s unemployment rate of 6.1 per cent, just below the national rate of 6.6, Watters agrees there may be a surplus of jobs in Kingston.

"It’s the same problem we have everywhere where we have jobs in certain sectors and not necessarily job seekers that want those jobs," she said. "There is a bit of a mismatch but it’s not insurmountable by any stretch."

Admission is free, and there will be prizes and giveaways.

For more information, call KEYS at 613-546-5559 or email events@keys.ca.

imacalpine@postmedia.com

Twitter @IanMacAlpine