Haverhill hosts skills and jobs fair to match jobseekers with potential employment

Councillor Susan Glossop with NHS Cambridge University Hospitals staff. Photo: West Suffolk Council.
Local businesses and people attended a Haverhill Skills and Job Fair last week.
The event, held on Thursday, July 21, delivered in partnership by West Suffolk Council and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was open to the general public and followed on from the success of a similar fair in Newmarket earlier this year.
A total of 17 local employers and training support providers attended, all with job vacancies or courses they were keen to fill. There were a variety of positions available to jobseekers, from nurse apprenticeships to welders.
Susan Glossop, cabinet member for Growth at West Suffolk Council said: “I am pleased to see a second Skills and Jobs Fair take place this year in West Suffolk as it is a priority for the council to support skills development and boost economic growth. By working in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions, we have delivered another successful and well supported fair for local people and businesses.”
Ellie Clements, management assistant at Claydon Drill, said: “It has been an incredible day; we have met some really diverse and interesting people and it has been a great opportunity to promote the business. Claydon are recruiting heavily at the moment as we are growing exponentially, so it is a really exciting time to join the team. There are a variety of roles available, including apprenticeships and trainees, overall we are really keen on getting people into work.”
The Economic Development and Growth team at West Suffolk Council works with a range of providers to offer local businesses access to a host of initiatives, ranging from upskilling their current workforce, to recruitment and funding. The council want to encourage as many businesses as possible to sign up and make use of the support available.
The New Anglian Local Enterprise Partnership are looking for input from local employers to help shape how Skills Bootcamps may work in the region. Skills Bootcamps are designed to offer free, flexible training courses to support workforce and recruitment.
Locally there are many opportunities for employers and jobseekers, including part and fully-funded training, listed on the West Suffolk Council Skills webpage.
Anyone who was unable to attend on the day can still find out how we can help by contacting skills@westsuffolk.gov.uk