Last updated 15:15, Friday, 27 June 2008

WORKINGTON saw one of its biggest jobs fairs this month with exhibitions from some of the area’s major employers in the Washington Central.

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GETTING THE LOWDOWN: David Prothero, 26, from Workington

Job Search Live, held on June 5, highlighted the career opportunities available in some of West Cumbria’s key employment sectors, including education, production, retail, warehousing and the forces.

Hosted by Cumbrian Newspapers, the event brought together employers under one roof – which meant endless opportunities for visitors who were looking for a new job, to retrain or even a change of career.

Attending the event were the likes of Iggesund Paperboard, James Walker Ltd, Studsvik, Step By Step, Booths Supermarkets, the Army and Royal Navy.

Maria Boyd, office manager for Booths supermarket, said: “It’s been really positive for us being involved in the Jobs Fair Live event; we have been able to raise the profile of our company.

“The calibre of candidates we have seen has been very encouraging and I would say five or six of them would make great additions to our company.”

A spokesperson from James Walker and Co’s human resources department said: “The Jobs Fair Live event is a great opportunity for our company to raise its profile within the local area.

“It’s an advantage for us to support local events such as these and it’s a chance for us to give information about James Walker as a company and explain exactly what we do.”

Carmel Grove, Connexions assistant for next step, said: “It’s been a well-attended event and it just shows people’s willingness to want to find employment or look for a career change.

“We have also been amazed at the number of people who have travelled a considerable distance to come to this event.”

Lucie Bell, recruitment advertising manager for Cumbrian Newspapers, said: “Jobs Fair Live is aimed at getting local people back into the area while highlighting the fact that there are plenty of local jobs out there.

“And we have seen people of all abilities and interests from the ages of 16 to 60.

“We are not only offering the chance for local people to find employment opportunities, we are providing an extra service for Cumbrian employers to expand their workforces.”

Carol Milnes, event manager for Cumbrian Newspapers, added: “Career exhibitions are an important resource for finding those candidates that are right for companies, and Jobs Fair Live is another avenue to maximise the chance of matching the right person to the right job.”

The next Jobs Fair Live will be held in Whitehaven in September. For additional information contact the recruitment team on 01228 612330 or email lucie.bell@cngroup.co.uk