First virtual jobs fair attended by 800 jobseekers

Since October 2020, Reed in Partnership and the Department for Work and Pensions have been playing a vital role in aiding the North East’s economic recovery from the Coronavirus pandemic by implementing the new Work and Health Programme’s Job Entry: Targeted Support (JETS) service.

On Wednesday, to help link up unemployed jobseekers with local, hiring employers, we hosted the West Yorkshire Virtual Careers Fair, which was attended by more than 800 WHP JETS participants. Powered by The UK Careers Fair, the event gave people – many of whom have lost their jobs due to the Coronavirus pandemic – the chance to connect with actively hiring employers, who were invited to exhibit at the event for free.

The careers fair exhibited stands from many notable West Yorkshire employers, including Inspire Payments, Yorkshire Housing, Next, QEM Solutions, and many more.

Attending jobseekers had the opportunity to access employers exhibiting at the event. Much like a face-to-face careers fair, they could be transported to that company’s stand where they found out more about the company, spoke with company representatives directly over instant message, and even have the option to carry out video and voice calls – allowing them to network freely with high profile regional employers.

Andy Scott from Inspire Payments exhibited at Wednesday’s event. He said:

“This was my first virtual event and I have to say, the organisation and support both before and during were first class - the day itself was pacey and well attended with the chat function being super easy to navigate and trouble free. Sign me up for the next one.”

QEM Solutions’ Technologies Manager said: “I received CVs for future Engineer and Compliance/Risk roles. The whole event was well run and user friendly, I would be keen to attend again!”

Nick Morgan, Regional Director for the WHP JETS Service North East, said:

“The West Yorkshire Virtual Careers Fair proved to be a success for WHP JETS participants and employers alike, connecting local employers with more than 800 local candidates looking for work at a challenging time. We hope to offer more innovative ways to support local people back into work and give them the tools they need to find meaningful careers quickly and efficiently during this pandemic, whilst supporting employers to find top talent and fill their vacancies.”

Reed in Partnership is working with over 50,000 active job seekers, supporting them with training, skills, mentoring and ensuring that they are ready to deliver results for employers. Visit readyforeverything.co.uk for more information.

WHP JETS in the North East is commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions and part-funded by the European Social Fund.

To find out more about WHP JETS North East please contact 0800 0253058 / [email protected].