At least 30 employers set to attend Blyth jobs fair

Around 1,000 people attended Blyth Valley's first jobs fair.

The Blyth Valley jobs fair returns later this week, after the “huge success” of the inaugural event last year.

The event aims to bring local employers together with a variety of job seekers as well as other employment support agencies.

The jobs fair will take place on Friday, October 7 from 10am at Blyth Sports Centre in Bolam Avenue.

Conservative MP Ian Levy organised the event along with the Department of Work and Penions, and encouraged anyone to attend.

He said: “The first Blyth Valley Jobs Fair last year was a huge success and I’m sure this one will be too. It’s free to attend and I’d encourage anybody looking for a new career or thinking about a change to come along.

“The sports centre is easy to get to and well served by public transport.”

Free tickets can be booked by searching Blyth Valley Jobs Fair on Eventbrite.

It comes after Northumberland County Council’s cabinet approved the next steps for three projects in Blyth designed to improve the town centre and the employment prospects of local residents across the south-east of the county.

At a meeting of the cabinet last month, the outline business case for the Energising Blyth Programme, which is supported by the Government’s Town Deal. A report presented to councillors acknowledged the town’s declining high street, with 15% of stores on the high street currently lying empty.

It is hoped that the £1.5 million investment can help to address the issues and create new employment opportunities for residents in the town centre.

Also approved on the same day was the outline business case for the Energy Central Campus learning hub, with a report noting the potential to attract energy producing companies to Blyth and “create high value employment opportunities”.

However, it was also pointed out in the report that Blyth “has a low-skilled, low productivity workforce” and “high levels of deprivation”. Parts of the town have some of the lowest median incomes in the county, below £15,000 per household each year.

As a result, it is hoped the larning hub can develop progression pathways to education and employment within the town.

The cabinet also approved the outline business case for the a technology development centre for the offshore wind industry, with the “ultimate aim” of delivering “local employment and economic growth” to attract companies, workers and leaners to Blyth. The project is being developed in partnership with ORE Catapult.