Hundreds of jobs seekers meet employers at latest Wirral Jobs Fair
A jobs fair delivered by Wirral Council saw almost a thousand job seekers meeting with potential employers and training providers and hundreds of interviews lined up on the day.
The event was focused on seasonal and permanent vacancies and was the latest in Wirral Council’s Jobs Fair programme.
Previous jobs fairs, also funded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, through the city region’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) allocation, were aimed at Early Years jobs, Health and Social Care jobs and a Careers Fair aimed at helping young people aged 16 – 25 into employment.
Held at Birkenhead Market’s covered outdoor space, next to Birkenhead Bus Station the latest jobs event saw 939 people attending, and more than 30 employers and training providers from in and around Wirral.
Employers reported that they’re arranging more than 200 interviews as a result of the event.
Chair of Wirral Council’s Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee, Cllr Mark Skillicorn, said:
These events have proven incredibly popular with both those seeking employment or training and with local employers aiming to connect with potential new staff and trainees. This latest Jobs Fair has shown yet again these events are an amazing way for employers and training providers to get direct access to the dedicated, skilled local workforce we have here in Wirral.
Cllr Mike Wharton, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Cabinet Member for Business, Investment and Trade, said:
The fact that nearly 1000 people attended this jobs fair shows how valuable local people find the opportunity to come along and meet employers and training providers in person. These fairs are also brilliant for employers looking to hire new staff. Let’s hope that lots of the 200 interviews arranged as part of the event lead to local people finding jobs.
A survey of more than 100 of those who attended the event found that:
- How satisfied with the event overall? 4.2 / 5
- 65% hadn’t attended a jobs fair before
- 83% would attend another jobs fair
Representatives from ReachOut, the council’s commissioned worklessness support service also attended offering support on getting back into work, including CV and application advice and information on different routes into work such as apprenticeships.
Attendees also said they found the jobs fair accessible for first time job seekers, included lots of employers from different sectors and offered job opportunities they had not considered before.
Employers and training providers also praised the event with Premier Care describing it as “very well organised” and Future Talent & Outreach Coordinator, United Utilities said the careers event “was one of the best we've been to recently” adding that they engaged with almost 1,000 local residents “all eager to learn more about our business and the opportunities we offer". UU said: “As a direct result, we have already received a number of applications from attendees, many of whom are now progressing through our recruitment process.”
And the director of Sapling Essential Services Ltd said: “Events like this need to be continued as it has a great benefit to the community. Businesses like ours need support as we have a good system to help young people to get experience in our premises to grow their career.”
If you’re an employer looking to connect with local residents and promote open vacancies and apprenticeships, please contact economicgrowthservice@wirral.gov.uk to be kept up to date about future events and opportunities.
