Havant MP Alan Mak has hailed his first Havant Jobs and Apprenticeships Fair as a “big community success” after hundreds of local residents flocked to Warblington School, Havant to meet local employers and get careers advice.
The Fair featured 53 exhibitors from large businesses such as accountants KPMG and Barclays to local firms like Hayling-based workshop Medina Joinery and Innova Design, an Emsworth-based manufacturer. Large local businesses such as property managers Fasset, who operate Langstone Technology Park, as well as Barratt Homes, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, and L&S Waste Management were also out in force.
Jobs on offer ranges from professional roles such as solicitor roles in the legal sector to entry-level barista jobs at Costa coffee.
In addition to some 550 jobs and apprenticeships on offer, the Fair also represented an opportunity for local residents to seek expert advice on the recruitment process. Representatives from Havant’s Jobcentre Plus, the National Careers Service, and the Wheatsheaf Trust, a local careers advice charity, were on hand to advise jobseekers or those planning a career move.
The News was the media partner for the Havant MP’s largest community event to date.
Inspirational speakers energised the large crowd throughout the day. Jane Hamilton, careers editor at The Sun newspaper, spoke to jobseekers about what employers are really looking for in applications and interviews. Having managed The Sun’s touring careers fair, Sunemployment, Ms Hamilton also hosted an “careers clinic” Q&A session with local residents who wanted help with their CV.
Alan Mak MP said: “I was delighted with the first Havant Jobs and Apprenticeships Fair. The attendance from local residents was terrific, which displayed not only the superb range of positions being offered by exhibitors, but also Havant’s real will to work.”
The Havant MP added: “My first Havant Jobs and Apprenticeships Fair was a big community success that saw local residents, business and charities backing each other for the common good. To have hundreds of residents attend and over 50 exhibitors offering 550 jobs and apprenticeships is a great credit to Havant. As local MP, I want every resident to have the security of a job and a regular pay-packet.”
Mak added: “Thanks to everyone who helped make this event possible from our sponsors and exhibitors to local residents. It was a memorable day characterised by real community spirit and a buzzy atmosphere throughout the event. I look forward to hearing about the new local jobs and apprenticeship success stories that follow the Fair, and will share the best through the News”
Leone Hill, Employer Account Manager at Jobcentre Plus, said: “I congratulate Alan and everyone involved in helping this event possible. Organisations such as Jobcentre Plus work tirelessly to help local residents into work, and it’s great to have a Fair like this where jobseekers and employers from the area can engage in an open and informal setting.”
Jane Hamilton commented: “Jobs fairs are a terrific way to get the local community working, and I was delighted to support Alan in organising Havant’s inaugural Jobs and Apprenticeships Fair. Given the attendance today, I am sure that unemployment in Havant which is already low will keep on falling.”
Readers will be kept up to date with stories from the Fair as we see how those who found jobs and apprenticeships get on in their new careers.
Unemployment in Havant continues to fall as part of a national trend that has seen a record number of people in work this year. The number of Havant residents claiming jobseeker's allowance or universal credit has fallen by 55% since January 2010, and there are now 178 fewer people out of work in Havant than at this point last year.