Over 400 people visited the first ever Greater Lincolnshire Online Jobs & Careers Fair on Wednesday (11th November) and organisers have promised the new monthly event will continue to grow.

Around 60 exhibitors took part in the fair, which was hosted virtually on a new purpose-built digital platform where visitors could browse exhibitor stands and speak to potential employers and training providers.

Designed to bring together employers and jobseekers in one place, just like a physical jobs fair, the new platform greaterlincsjobsfair.co.uk was created by the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (GLEP) and will host a monthly jobs fair over the next year.

As Nub News previously reported , Rutland Council joined GLEP earlier this year.

GLEP Skills manager Clare Hughes said: "Despite the challenges that people and businesses are currently facing, there are local employers who are recruiting right now.

"Getting together physically at a traditional jobs fair is not possible at the moment, so working with local job centres and other partners we have created a platform that provides a solution for local organisations to use.

"We've received really positive feedback about the website, and thank to local developers TRS, who have made the concept a reality, we've laid a strong foundation for future job fairs."

One job seeker who attended the fair was Emily Heathcote. "The online jobs fair was really helpful - the site was informative and easy to navigate and I visited a range of stalls and spoke to several employers over the course of the event," she said.

"The chat function and the ability to request video calls were useful for engaging with those employers with opportunities of particular interest, and they enabled me to establish connections that have already led to a development in my job search."

Among the exhibitors was Elizabeth King from Boston College, who said: "Well done to the LEP for organising the first virtual jobs fair! It's a great idea and I think with time and as word gets out, it will only become more and more popular."

Leeann Horsfall, employment adviser at First College, said: "I think that the concept is excellent and it has massive potential," while Ian Enright from Development Plus commented: "I thought the event worked very well and that it was really worthwhile, accessible and interesting."

The next Greater Lincolnshire Online Jobs and Careers Fair will take place on Wednesday 16th December 2020 from 10am to1pm.

Exhibition stands are free and available to employers and supporting organisations across the Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland area.

Registrations will open later this month and employers with vacancies from nearby areas such as Hull, Newark and Peterborough are welcome to register.

If you have a question about being an exhibitor, you would like to get involved as a future speaker, or you wish to submit a video about careers in your sector, please email [email protected].