A RECORD number of people attended the opportunity to meet employers at a recent job fair.

Over 800 people turned up to the jobs, skills and training event held at Deeside Leisure Centre on April 11.

The Jobs Fair was aimed at adults and young people seeking work and it proved to be another successful collaboration with Flintshire Council, Communities for Work Plus, Job Centre Plus and Aura Leisure.

The event had 76 stands including employers with vacancies, training opportunities, volunteering opportunities and general support to get back into work.

Flintshire Council's construction partners ran an interactive construction corner and 'first impressions count' workshops were held throughout the day as well as an application station and CV checkpoint offering advice and guidance throughout the event.

Councillor Derek Butler, Flintshire Council’s cabinet member for economic development, said: "Once again, this interactive event was a great success and gave the record number of people who attended the opportunity to meet employers, education establishments and support agencies."

Students from local high schools and colleges also attended to find out about career options and apprenticeships on offer.

Feedback from providers, including education establishments, training providers and organisations offering volunteering opportunities, showed that the quality of the candidates and level of engagement was higher than last year, with more opportunity to have one to one discussions.

Due to the high calibre of attendees, some employers wanted to interview potential candidates there and then on the day.

As well as applying for the many vacancies on offer, jobseekers were able to meet with and put questions to employers, learning providers and many other support organisations.

Cllr Butler added: "Numbers have been increasing year on year and with over 800 people, this event was the biggest yet.

"Employers tell us that these Flintshire County Council events are a positive experience for them too. It’s crucial for businesses that they attract and recruit the right person for the job.

"Events such as this give them the opportunity to do that."