Jobs fair offering 10,000 vacancies held

The jobs fair in Milton Keynes was held over two days at the Centre:MK

A jobs fair offering 10,000 jobs has featured a drive to encourage people back into the workforce.

The MK: Jobs Show in Milton Keynes showcased public and private sector vacancies across six counties.

Earlier this month, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said he wanted to get young parents and over-50s back into work.

Sue Milner, from Milton Keynes University Hospital, which was exhibiting, said it had "40 to 60 vacancies at any one time".

Mr Hunt said a shortage of workers was holding back growth.

He said measures announced in his budget were designed to get more over-50s, people with disabilities and parents of young children back to work.

Ms Milner said she hoped the "very high job satisfaction" within the NHS would encourage people to apply for its vacancies.

Other employers at Centre: MK said they were looking at offering more hybrid working, where employees spend part of their time at working at home.

The fair was offering jobs across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire.

Private sector exhibitors included the Haas F1 Team, Silverstone, Lockheed Martin, Santander, John Lewis and Rexroth, with public sectors organisations represented such as the Army and local authorities.

'My work ethic is fantastic'

Heather Desouza has been out of work for three months

One of people at the jobs fair looking for work was Heather Desouza.

The 63-year-old has been out of work for three months and said she had "a lot of skills".

"My computer skills are a bit rusty, but I've been trained in customer services, travel management," she said.

"I've done banking, I've done care work and I've done so many industries.

"But I just want to do something that will take me to my retirement year."

She said she wanted something that gave her "support".

"I'm easily trainable, my work ethic is fantastic and I'm ready to go," she added.

Analysis

by Andrew Sinclair, BBC East politics correspondent

Getting the right staff for firms in this region has always been challenge and it's getting harder.

We have one of the highest employment rates in the country (78% at the moment), there is the problem of people over 50 who have left the workforce, and we are a growing region.

More firms are moving here. A recent report by regional MPs predicted that 600,000 new jobs would be created in the East of England over the next 15 years, so jobs fairs are becoming bigger and more important because employers know they are fishing in an increasingly small pool in terms of available labour.

Attracting the right staff means paying them well which is one reason why wages in the private sector have been rising.

But MPs say companies must also be prepared to offer flexible hours and home-working, because the workforce of 2023 is more choosy.

And they say if we want the region to grow we're going to have to accept that, as a region, more homes need to be built.