If potential employees had experience with marijuana, then last weekend’s job fair at Tilray was their chance to brag about it.
Tilray, the company behind the new medical marijuana facility at Duke Point, hosted its first hiring fair over the weekend, attracting more than 400 resumés and 250 interviewees.
Philippe Lucas, vice-president of patient research and services for Tilray, said the company was “very impressed” with the number and quality of people who turned out and has little doubt it will hire from the pool of candidates.
There could also be more hiring efforts in the near future once the company knows where employee gaps still exist.
“It was very successful for us,” Lucas said.
“I think [it was a] combination of a great opportunity to get involved in an emerging company and new industry ... and I think part of it is the interest and attraction of working in a legal setting with medical marijuana.”
Lucas said most people were very professional and well-prepared.
Many seemed to enjoy talking about their experience with marijuana and medical marijuana, which is isn’t something people usually bring up in a job interview, he said, adding that “it’s a novel experience – here you get to brag about it.”
The company was searching for up to 60 employees to fill jobs ranging from management to cultivation and horticulture. Tilray will be contacting people as early as this week, with aims of getting new employees trained before its launch April 1.
The company is still wrapping up its first phase of renovations and is in the process of securing a licence from Health Canada to grow, process and distribute medical marijuana to patients across the country.