More than 600 jobseekers attend jobs fair in Liverpool where 30 employers were offering over 650 vacancies. Tony McDonough reports
A jobs fair held at ACC Liverpool offering over 650 vacancies was attended by more than 600 people.
Beyond Eurovision – One Step Further was a follow-up to a series of jobs fairs held across Liverpool city region in the run up to Eurovision in May. More than 3,000 people attended those events with almost 400 people offered jobs on the spot.
This latest event was organised by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority with the DWP, Liverpool City Council and Growth Platform. It included Wirral-based employers looking to fill roles at and supporting the Open Golf Championship in Hoylake.
There was also 12 training providers at the waterfront event with the focus not just on the visitor economy but on a number of other sectors.
Employers included hospitality and leisure firms as well as the NHS, health and social care providers, the army and firms working in logistics, security and retail.
A number of available roles offered salaries of more than £30,000-a-year and on-the-day job offers were made to suitable candidates.
Early figures from the event show 74 people were offered jobs on the day, with 127 securing second interviews and 129 application forms handed out.
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority executive director for investment and delivery, Aileen Jones, said: “Eurovision was a huge boost for Liverpool city region, its people and its visitor economy.
“The recruitment fairs we held were extremely popular and very successful. This latest event builds on that momentum, widening the focus from the visitor economy to other sectors, including health, social care, security, logistics and retail.”
Work is now underway to gauge the economic effect of hosting Eurovision on behalf of Ukraine. It saw an estimated 500,000 extra visitors to the city region and a TV audience of 162m viewers. A report is expected later this year.
Janet Nuzum, visitor economy sector manager at Growth Platform, Liverpool city region’s economic development agency, said: “It is important we continue to build on the amazing success we had delivering recruitment fairs across the city region under the banner of Eurovision.
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“These events showed us what an appetite there is for people looking for roles in hospitality and the wider visitor economy.
“That is why the ‘Eurovision and Beyond’ recruitment fair went beyond the hospitality sector and showcase job opportunities across a range of sectors, including the visitor economy, health, retail, security, education and logistics, to name but a few.”