Job and careers expo in Ipswich

More than fifty job seekers, a dozen employers and local Tafe Qld gathered last month at the Ipswich Civic Centre for The Salvation Army Employment Plus Wivenhoe’s regional Jobs and Careers Expo.

The Salvation Army Employment Plus Regional Manager for Wivenhoe, Krystal Hoskin, says the candid, relaxed setting was designed to stimulate meetings, connections, and assess job or career compatibility at a much faster pace than traditional recruitment methods.

“While there were a lot of nervous candidates, most relaxed with support from staff during the event. Both job seekers and employers can develop an immediate chemistry and with everyone collectively focused on filling employment needs and furthering education, the tone is less formal and more solutions focussed.”

“The feedback we received from the candidates that attended was they found value in the day, learned about some new career pathways they had not considered, and were able to instantly hand their resumes to employers offer job opportunities of interest. The employers and educators also provided great feedback that they really enjoyed engaging with our candidates and gaining a greater understanding of their needs and interests, and would do it again with us in the future.

Senior Recruiter, Erin Armstrong, says when working with job seekers, some of which have been out of employment for a long time, Employment Plus provides holistic support across both life challenges and practical job seeking skills – such as fine-tuning a resume, preparing for interviews, and highlighting the importance of personal grooming.

“We also provide a lot of support as the candidates settle into their new role. For example, helping them with transport solutions to get them there on time and staying in touch with both job seeker and employer in the early days to assist with the transition phase. So, aside from achieving placements, we see this type of event as a great opportunity to showcase the high calibre of our job seekers in our region and the depth of support we can provide to employers during recruitment and post-placement,” she adds.