National Edition - January 21, 2007  The countdown begins! In just 10 days the English Canada Jobboom team will be at the largest HR event in Canada, this year being held in Toronto on January 31st. Along with co-sponsors, the Toronto Sun and 24hrs Toronto, the Jobboom team will introduce itself in elegant style, complete with a red-carpet opening Gala event. Minimum wage struggle The United States has been on the brink of raising the national minimum wage ever since the Democrats took control of the House of Representatives. It’s not money in the bank for America’s poor, just yet, because the bill would still have to get by the Senate and George W. Bush himself. However, for those currently living under the proposed hourly rate, the increase could mean access to certain, basic necessities like heating, water and toilet paper. (Source: BBC) Positions of power The late James Brown used to sing, “It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World.” Yet, child development experts maintain that young girls and boys have the same great aspirations at the outset of their lives. So, what happens in the interim that today’s workplace remains a male-dominated realm where women are under represented, under paid and don’t fulfill their childhood ambitions? Part of the answer may lie in Normal, Ill., where things are anything but. (Source: Slate) Retirement: ready or not Increasingly, many 65 years olds can’t afford to retire. Others simply don’t want to give up their active lifestyles in exchange for mall strolls and playing shuffleboard or bridge. As the life expectancy of North Americans changes, there’s a growing call to revise the previously established age of retirement. Even those in their 50s today will have to work longer to afford the time off later in life. The flip side is that society’s infatuation with youth makes finding work after the age of 40 quite a challenge. (Source: Washington Post) Nobel Prize increases lifespan Are you looking for something to offset the health risks caused by a raucous and debauched freshman year at university? Provided that you are still well on your way to a Doctoral degree, perhaps you should set your sights on earning a Nobel Prize. The winners gain status and money, plus an added two years life expectancy, compared to those who are only nominated. (Source: Reuters) Stressed out Calgarians Ah, Calgary. It used to be such a quaint and friendly place. Now, the ills of big city life have beset “Cow Town,” such as a burgeoning population, skyrocketing real estate, blinding greed over the black gold in the tar-sands and, of course, the daily bump-and-grind of highway gridlock. The city’s rapid growth has outstripped its infrastructure. Not so long ago, you could simply tie up your horse outside the canteen. Not so much, anymore. (Source: CBC) Do your kids still live at home? Mothers with slacker twenty-somethings should be extremely tactful when suggesting to them that they look for a job. • A Louisiana man told investigators he set fire to his mother's house because she told him to get a job if he wanted to stay there. • His mother, Christina Ross, told investigators she was next door when the fire broke out at her home around 9:00 p.m. • When she saw that her house was on fire, she asked her son what he had done and he ran. • Eventually, the son returned and said that he had used a cigarette lighter to set fire to the living room. (Source: Denver Post) January 23 – 24 Wireless Cities Summit Toronto, ON January 24 Vancouver Education and Career Fair Vancouver, BC January 26 Okanagan Education and Career Fair Kelowna, BC January 28 - 31 2nd Annual National Canadian Conference on Social Enterprise Vancouver, BC January 31 Profectio’s Power Breakfast Series: "Social Media - The Sex & Sizzle" Toronto, ON January 31 – February 2 HRPAO’s Annual Conference & Trade Show Toronto, ON February 4 - 6 5th Annual BioPartnering North America Vancouver, BC February 6 Alberta Job Fair Toronto, ON Feb 28 Profectio's Power Breakfast Series: "As the World Searches" Toronto, ON March 4 – 6 Canadian Venture Forum Toronto, ON March 8 Youth Career Awareness Fair Mississauga, ON March 28 – 29 BioMedEx Quebec City, QC Suggest a career-related event NOTICE: Jobboom and its sponsors do not necessarily endorse the opinions conveyed in the articles selected for this e-zine and do not assume any legal liability in consequence thereof. Comments: info@jobboom.com Research and editing: Austin Macdonald #noDossier#