Opportunity knocks at annual jobs fair
A record number of potential employers spoke to jobseekers at Newark MP Robert Jenrick’s annual jobs fair.
Almost 50 companies and organisations set up stalls at Castle House, Newark, headquarters of Newark and Sherwood District Council, to highlight the opportunities they were offering.
Among them were leading apprenticeship recruiter Derry Building Services; British Sugar; the Armed Forces; and Nottinghamshire Police.
Mr Jenrick said: “This is the fourth time we have held the jobs fair and it is the biggest one yet.
“Last year we had more than 1,000 jobseekers come through, which we hope to have surpassed this year.”
Mr Jenrick said the area’s unemployment rate was at almost 1%, which was one of the lowest in the country.
“This jobs fair is an exciting opportunity for people to see that there has never been a better time for our local economy,” he said.
'A great networking opportunity'
Mr Sam Taylor, senior team leader at Vodafone, said: “It is very impressive here. We have been to a few job fairs before and were not expecting it to be on such a big scale.
“We have spoken to a lot of people and received a fair few CVs.
“It is a great networking opportunity for companies and jobseekers alike.”
People development manager at British Sugar Miss Catherine Grant said they were looking to recruit apprentices and were keen to get more people from the Newark area involved at its factory on Great North Road.
One of the visitors to the jobs fair, Miss Anna-Marie Caunt, 19, of Newark, said: “I have only recently finished studying sports at college so to get into that career path is the end goal, but it is good to come down here and see everything that is available.”
That view was echoed by Mr Peter Yates, 48, who said: “Some jobs fairs can be quite hit and miss but this one is really good with a huge range of companies.”
Miss Cristina Rodriguez, who is looking for a role in administration and accountancy, said: “This is the first time I have been to a jobs fair and I think it’s a brilliant idea to have so many options in one place.”
