HUNDREDS of job-hunters came face-to-face with their next potential employers and trainers at the latest Daily Echo Jobs Fair.

The event was on course to see more than 1,000 people through the doors of the Premier Inn on Bournemouth’s Westover Road.

There were 42 exhibitors, including many of Dorset’s major employers as well as education institutions, trainers and agencies.

The event was sponsored by LV=, whose resourcing operations consultant Rachel Gulwell reported that the team had been busy from the start.

She said it was good to meet job-hunters face-to-face. “A lot of our vacancies are customer service roles, so to be able to talk to people and gauge what their communication skills are like is fantastic,” she added.

Sam Curtis is operations director of Poole-based School Business Services, which is co-sponsoring the Daily Echo School Awards and provides administrative services to all kinds of schools.

She said it was good to meet job-hunters and tell them what the business was about.

“We’ve had massive growth in the last 18 months. We’re looking at about 5-6 roles. We’ve had a mix of people coming in,” she added.

The jobs fair included workshops on interview skills and CV-writing, provided by Bournemouth-based Best Training.

Sally Cooper, employment and staffing solutions manager at Best Training, said: “It’s really nice to see such a variety of employers here.

“There’s a really good range and the footfall has been very good. There was quite a queue outside when it opened.”

David McArthur, Dorset and New Forest account manager with the Department for Work and Pensions, said the Daily Echo’s jobs fair was helping improve the unemployment situation.

“The partnership between the Daily Echo, the Dorset Echo and Job Centre Plus has really made such a massive difference to the local community,” he said.

“If it wasn’t for you guys running events such as this and working with us to encourage job seekers to attend, then Dorset wouldn’t be such a positive place to come and find employment.

“Unemployment is so low yet we still have 42 amazing employers here, which can only be a good thing for reducing unemployment in the local area.”

Marcus Atkins, sales manager with Poole business the Training Room – which offers training in a range of industries – said: “It’s a good chance to get a good first impression and really interact with someone and remove the nervousness of an interview. People are able to wander around and it’s a much more comfortable and informal process.”

Paul Brown, recruitment coordinator with Dorset-based care provider Agincare, said the event was going well. “It’s a growing business. We’re constantly recruiting,” he said.

David Nash, HR adviser with solicitors Lester Aldridge, said: “We’re looking for a cross-section of people from admin assistance through to accountants and lawyers.

“You never know who’s going to come in.”