Jobs Fair a “fantastic opportunity to meet employers face to face”
Hundreds of local people attending a dedicated Maritime & Engineering Jobs Fair in Birkenhead met with employers and training providers from two of the Liverpool City Region's fastest-growing sectors.
Held at The Pyramids Shopping Centre, the free event featured 24 organisations representing 18 employers, two training providers and four industry support organisations, offering information on vacancies, apprenticeships and career development opportunities.
Chair of Wirral Council’s Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee, Cllr Mark Skillicorn, said:
Events like this highlight the real value of bringing people together face to face. They give jobseekers, apprentices and people looking to develop new skills the chance to speak directly with employers and training providers, helping to open doors to new opportunities.
With a focus on sectors that are vital to the strength and future growth of Wirral’s economy, the strong turnout showed just how valuable these events continue to be, making this another highly successful day for both jobseekers and employers.
Organised by Wirral Council in partnership with Mersey Maritime, the Jobs Fair gave residents the chance to meet directly with employers, discover current and upcoming vacancies, explore apprenticeships and training opportunities, and learn more about career pathways within the industries.
The jobs fair is part of the council’s ongoing programme which is funded by Public Health and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, through the city region’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) allocation. To date, around almost 5,000 residents have attended the jobs fairs, meeting hundreds of employers and training providers.
Speaking in her role as Liverpool City Region Cabinet Member for Economic Growth and Regeneration, Cllr Paula Basnett said:
As a Combined Authority we’ve been proud to support Wirral Council to organise this programme of jobs fairs which have been so popular with local people and businesses alike. They are fantastic opportunities to put people together with job and training opportunities and the fact that nearly 5,000 people have attended them so far is testament to their importance.
Exit surveys show that people of gone on to secure hundreds of interviews, training course enrolments, and job starts and more than 300 residents attended the latest event, with 140 completing the feedback survey and scoring the jobs fair 4.3 out of 5 for overall satisfaction.
Comments from those who attended included that “it was a fantastic opportunity to meet employers face to face”, while others highlighted the “good range of employers from the sector”, and said they had “learned a lot from the helpful and friendly staff” while 60 out of the 140 (43%) said they left with information about apprenticeships.
Employers also praised the event which was attended by a wide range of people, from school leavers, university students, and those without current employment to port workers, ex-seafarers, parents and grandparents. They included people who had never heard of the maritime industry or the opportunities it offers, as well as those looking to begin training and seeking advice.
Comments from employers included:
The Maritime & Engineering Job Fair at Pyramids Birkenhead was a tremendous success and provided a fantastic opportunity for us to engage directly with the local community. It was inspiring to meet so many passionate individuals and connect with the potential engineers of the future who will help drive the maritime industry forward.
This was a really good and well organised event, and candidates who attended had a genuine interest in this area of Engineering.
The jobs fair was great for networking and meeting potential future talent.
I was delighted to attend the Maritime and Engineering event. I was able to engage with local people who might never have considered the maritime industry otherwise. The level of interest from attendees was incredibly encouraging. Events like this are essential for highlighting that a career at sea is accessible and can offer a stable, structured, and life long career. It’s clear there is a strong appetite in the area for these high-quality, skilled careers.
The Maritime & Engineering Jobs Fair was a brilliant opportunity to meet people interested in a career in the sector and showcase the breadth of opportunities available across the Liverpool City Region.
It was great to see so many conversations taking place between employers, educators and future talent, helping to highlight the exciting and diverse career paths our industries offer.
Thank you to Wirral Council for bringing everyone together and delivering such a valuable event.
It was great to meet with so many people who were interested in a career with Stena Line from the local area and learn about their skills, experiences and aspirations.
Dates for future Jobs Fairs will be announced in due course and if you’re an employer or training provider and would like to be made aware of future events please email the team at: economicgrowthservice@wirral.gov.uk
