Looking for an Accessible Career Opportunity? YVR Hosts Inclusive Career Fair

When many of us hear “YVR,” we think of Vancouver as a whole—our local airport has become synonymous with the area it serves. This is, in part, because YVR is one of Vancouver’s largest employers, and ranked one of BC’s top employers for 13 years.

From check-in to lift off and everything in between, many of us might not consider how many different types of jobs exist in order for each passenger to take flight. Employment opportunities range from security to food services, customer service representatives and air traffic controllers, not to mention the staff within the individual airlines themselves—there are countless individuals behind the scenes ensuring each passenger arrives at their destination safely and enjoys their time spent doing so. This is a result of over 26,000 jobs at YVR working together seamlessly to support the customer experience.

On September 24, 2019, Vancouver International Airport hosted their first Open House and Inclusive Hiring Fair for Persons with Disabilities. This day-long fair was open to individuals with all kinds of disabilities who wanted to learn more about YVR’s job opportunities. Representatives from numerous companies operating out of the airport attended the event and set up booths to share information.

Our Communications and Events Coordinator, Micaela, attended the event to see what kinds of opportunities are available and accessible to our Peers, many of whom use wheelchairs, mobility devices or may require accommodations within the workplace. We were thrilled to see over 300 individuals in attendance—from start to finish the event space was packed!

Short answer, Micaela soon found out, is nearly every kind of job!

She was also surprised to see how many unconventional jobs could accommodate people with disabilities, so long as safety protocols can be followed to ensure employee and customer safety.

Below is a summary of some of the job opportunites in Customer Service and Security.

This is an area with numerous physically-accessible roles. Here’s a brief look at some of the current opportunities available right now (current as of November 15, 2019):

• You could work for the Vancouver Airport Authority. At the moment, there is a posting for a Customer Relations Representative.
• Pacific Coastal Airlines is hiring both full and part-time Customer Service Agents to support their sixth largest airline out of YVR.
• Menzies Aviation handles the shipping of cargo via air, and their office is hiring a Cargo Office Agent. 
• Customer Service Ambassadors at Dexterra is hiring. They ensure all questions and concerns from passengers are answered accurately and efficiently.

Somewhat unexpectedly, there are also a number of jobs in the Security sector that are accessible to a wheelchair user.

1. SecuriGuard is often hiring for the position of Access Control Point Guards, and the staff present didn’t see why it couldn’t be accessible to individuals like our Peers. This role involves being present in restricted areas to keep an eye out, combining customer service skills and an ability to be aware of one’s surroundings, without the need for the typical physical demands one might assume is needed in a ‘security’ role.
2. Security company G4S Canada also offers a variety of potentially accessible opportunities, depending on one’s skills and interests. They’re currently recruiting Screening Officers, Scheduler, and a Senior Human Resources Manager.

For more information about YVR’s history of inclusive employment and how they’re working to improve, check out YVR CEO Craig Richmond’s blog post about the event and his quote below.

“Everyone has a role to play in our community and it should thus be the same at our airport, which is only strengthened by every new perspective that contributes to its ongoing success.”