Employee Referral Service web site -- Job Store

The Job Store web site helps connect open shop construction employers with construction job seekers.

There is an increasing demand for skilled trades people throughout Newfoundland and Labrador (and across Canada in general). Finding them can be quite challenging. To assist contractors in finding trades people, Merit NL decided to extend its Employee Referral Service to the Internet. The Employee Referral Service web site, Job Store, is a secure, interactive web site for Newfoundland and Labrador's open shop construction industry. It's the first of its kind in the province's construction industry! Open shop construction employers are now able to advertise jobs on-line for free and to search for workers in the linked database*. Each employer is still responsible for their own hiring, for checking references and so forth, as this service is simply a referral service.

Similarly, Job Store helps construction workers find jobs and connect with employers. Job seekers are able to search the web site for job ads and can apply on-line free of charge. They can also post a general application on-line or paste their own curriculum vitae to the site for free, and have both stored in the linked database for 60 days in the event that a job matches their qualifications and interests. Their applications are also accessible to employers when search the database.

Privacy is protected and everyone has his or her own username and password.

On May 2, 2006, Merit NL launched Job Store to the provincial construction industry at the monthly meeting of the Canadian Home Builders' Association - Eastern Newfoundland (CHBA-EN). On June 7, 2006 they launched it publicly at a news conference which was a huge success as it resulted in more than 600 people registering on the web site! For more information, call Merit NL's office at (709) 576-3748 [57-MERIT], toll-free in NL at 1-877-544-3748 or by e-mail at merit@merit-nl.ca.

Merit NL will also accept curriculum vitaes from job seekers to add to the job store if they wish and to keep on file at their office. Please send your curriculum vitae to their office by fax at (709) 576-3749, by e-mail address at merit@merit-nl.ca, or by mail to Suite 209, Torbay Place, 446 Newfoundland drive, St. John's, NL, A1A 4G7.

* Merit NL's Board of Directors are allowing all open shop contractors free access to the Job Store web site. In order to register on the web site, contractors must call Merit's office to get the "association access code".