Photo: Contributed

The Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission has launched a new way to help employers and employees find one another.

And it is just in the nick of time, given Kelowna was just named one of the worst cities in the county to find work –a finding that was not surprising to local officials. 

Okanaganjobmatch.com is an online job-matching platform created to address workforce needs in the area.

It was created by the EDC is response to its 2014 report Growing in the Okanagan - 2020 Labour Market Outlook commissioned by the COEDC, which heard from employer after employer that finding the right employees is difficult.

The regional adaption of Magnet, a skills-based, employment matching platform, will serve as a key tool for employers and job seekers throughout the Central Okanagan.

Magnet is a network powered by job-matching technology that was developed by Ryerson University, in partnership with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and the Government of Ontario.

According to the EDC, Magnet is different to traditional job boards through its intuitive technology that provides both job seekers and employers with a one-stop, supply-and-demand job hub to connect the right candidate to the right job opportunity – quickly, accurately and efficiently. 

“Companies throughout the region, across a multitude of sectors, tell us one of their biggest barriers to success is the sourcing of a talented workforce. The introduction of Magnet to the B.C. market aims to be the region’s tool for matching employers and qualified job seekers by eliminating a major barrier faced locally. Job seekers across Canada are unaware of local employer’s current job posting methods, thus reducing the talent pool for available opportunities significantly,” says director Corie Griffiths.

Central Okanagan job seekers and local college and university students seeking full- or part-time employment can learn more and register free by visiting okanaganjobmatch.com.

Employers are encouraged to visit the site to post their current hiring needs and connecting with the right employee is free for the first six months.