Hiring in the Kootenays can be hard.
We can help - at no cost.
Free recruitment support, wage subsidies, and training funding for businesses in the Creston Valley, Cranbrook, the Columbia Valley, and the Elk Valley.
KES is a non-profit, funded to help Kootenay businesses hire and keep staff. We can help you in four ways: by getting your posting in front of more people, offsetting your wage or training costs, introducing you to work-ready candidates, and supporting your new hire after their start date so they stick around. That's what we do, and it's free.
How we can help
Post Jobs
Free
List your opening free on the KES Job Board — the regional board for the Creston Valley, East Kootenay, Elk Valley and Columbia Valley. Post once and it’s in front of the jobseekers we work with every day, plus everyone who walks through our four offices.
NEW HIRE
WAGES
When you hire an eligible jobseeker through KES, wage subsidy funding can reimburse a portion of their wages during on-the-job training — reducing the cost and the risk of taking a chance on someone new. We can help walk you through every step of the process.
REQUIRED CERTIFICATION
Short-term training funding can cover job-required certifications for eligible new hires — think Foodsafe, First Aid, forklift, and similar tickets — so a promising candidate isn’t off the table just because they’re missing a course.
SUPPORT FOR NEW HIRES
A new hire’s first few months are where most turnover happens. We check in with both you and your new employee during that window, catching small issues before they become a reason to quit, and making sure the fit is actually working for everyone.
A gap in their resume, a disability, a move, a restart: some of the most reliable employees in the region came through a door marked “barrier”. KES specializes in matching these jobseekers with the right role — and we back the placement with training funds, workplace supports, and follow-up so it works for both of you.
Employers we've worked with
FAQ
Questions
employers
ask us
I'm interested. How does it work?
Tell us what you need by calling or emailing your local office (below). We’ll then connect you with jobseekers we work with and, where eligible, arrange wage subsidies or training funding to support your hire. Our work continues after hiring with check-ins, job coaching, and ongoing support.
Is this actually free?
Yes. KES is a non-profit fully funded to deliver these services. Employers never pay us a fee.
What's the catch with wage subsidies?
There is no catch, but there are rules: the position and the candidate both have to be eligible, and the goal has to be a real, lasting job (not free labour). We can tell you within one conversation whether your situation qualifies.
Can you find me someone by Friday?
Sometimes, but that’s not our promise. We’re not a temp agency: what we’re good at is finding you the right person, lowering the cost of training them, and making sure they’re still with you next year.
We're seasonal. Is this still for us?
Yes. Seasonal peaks, a retirement you can see coming, a hard-to-fill entry-level role, these are the three situations we hear most, and there’s support for each.
Who do I actually talk to?
An Employer Liaison: a local person whose whole job is working with businesses like yours. Contact details below.
Contact Us
We would love to speak with you. Feel free to reach out using the form or call us below.
Contact Us
We would love to speak with you. Feel free to reach out using the form or call us below.