With health services facing staffing challenges across the province, the local emergency services station hopes to recruit casual workers with flexibility and compensated training.
BC Emergency Health Services hosted an open house job fair on April 21 at the station on Barriere Town Road between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Station unit chief Don Piper told the Star Journal that his unit’s number of full-time positions has increased during the past year-and-a-half. The number of full-time positions increased from two to a total of 10 full-time positions, six of which are presently filled.
Full-time positions are posted provincially, but Piper also wants to fast-track locals through the interview process to become casual employees.
He emphasized that the casual positions are flexible and include bonuses such as employer-paid training and education opportunities. A new casual employee can work as much or as little as they would like, he said.
“It is the ultimate part time job,” he said. “What other job can you say I’ll work Tuesdays and Wednesdays? And if there is work available you’ll work Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The more you are available the more you’ll have opportunities to work.”
Piper will be conducting interviews on-site, but community members are also welcome to stop by on a casual basis to chat and drink coffee.
The station is looking for people with a class 4, 2 or 1 driver’s licence, and a CPR-C certificate. Within the first six months of employment, BC Emergency Health Services will pay for new recruits to attend school for their Emergency Medical Responder certification.
Piper has been in his position at the head of the station unit since 2015, and grew up in Barriere. In today’s context, it is important to have enough staff to provide emergency medical services to the community.
“Now that our emergency room is closed more than it is open, as it’s been closed for most of the year, we are the last ones standing. We are the only option really.”
For more information on the open positions, Piper can be contacted at (250)-320-8114. BC Emergency Health Services can also be contacted about job opportunities at careers@bcehs.ca.
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