Minister announces major Job Fair for Belfast

Date published: 9 March 2020

The Job Fair, which will be held at the Europa Hotel in Belfast on Tuesday 24 March 2020 between 11am and 4pm, has been organised by the Department for Communities in partnership with Belfast City Council.

Minister Hargey said “At a time when levels of employment have hit a record high and employers continue to grow their business, I am delighted that my Department is working in partnership with Belfast City Council to host this Job Fair. The Department for Communities is committed to bringing local talent and our business together to ensure that people can be matched to job opportunities. The Job Fair provides a fantastic opportunity for anyone looking for a job or changing career direction to meet with employers who have available vacancies. I would really encourage anyone seeking work or employment advice to come along on the 24 March to see the opportunities on offer.”

Over 60 employers will take part in the Job Fair, including those from the care, manufacturing, construction, hospitality and financial services sectors and many more.

Gordon Milligan, Deputy Chief Executive from Translink, one of the employers taking part in the Job Fair, said: “This is a great way to meet jobseekers and share information of the various opportunities available within Translink. It is an exciting time to join Translink with work getting underway on the Belfast Transport Hub. This project will transform public transport and offer jobs based in the heart of Belfast. We encourage those seeking a career in the transport industry to ‘get on board’ with us as we continue our journey towards making public transport the ‘first choice for travel’ for everyone in Belfast”.

The Job Fair will coincide with Belfast City Council’s 5th Festival of Learning, which runs from 23 to 29 March 2020.

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Daniel Baker said “A key aspect of Council’s community plan, the Belfast Agenda, is providing access to job opportunities by tackling barriers to employment to match residents to employment opportunities right across the city. The Belfast Job Fair is a free event which will help people learn about what opportunities are out there, improve their employment prospects and hopefully will even lead to a new job or career. Practical advice and support is also available, from writing CVs to help in completing application forms and interview techniques. I’m encouraging anyone, young or young at heart, who’s interested in brushing up their CV skills or searching for their next job opportunity to come along to the Europa Hotel on 24 March and speak to the many businesses, organisations and careers experts who are there to answer questions and offer advice.”

The Department for Communities’ Job Search Services and Disability Employment Service and the Department for the Economy’s Careers Service, along with other support organisations, will also be on hand to provide advice and guidance on training and employment programmes currently available for anyone seeking to upskill or retrain.

Further information about the Job Fair is available by contacting Employer Services Branch dfcemployerservices@communities-ni.gov.uk, telephone 028 9037 6183 or visiting www.nidirect.gov.uk/belfastjobfair