Careers, training and jobs fair opens doors for West Lindsey residents
Residents from across West Lindsey were given the chance to explore job opportunities, training routes and skills support at a free careers, training and jobs fair in Gainsborough.
Hosted by ACIS Group on Thursday, June 25, at the Riverside Room, Bridge Street, the Careers and Training Fair brought employers, training providers and support organisations together under one roof.
The event showcased live vacancies, career pathways, skills support and practical advice for people looking to take their next step into work, training or further education.
ACIS Group was joined by Riverside Training, CLIP (Community Learning in Partnership), local employers and advice organisations, all offering guidance to help people build confidence, enhance their skills and find work.
Visitors were able to speak directly with employers and training providers, ask questions about available roles, find out what skills local businesses are looking for and access support to strengthen future applications.
The interactive fair ran from 10.30am to 2.30pm and gave attendees the opportunity to collect information, make face-to-face connections and learn more about local employment and training opportunities across the district.
Sharon Kirby, from Riseholme College, was among those at the event.
She said: “This is our second year here and we’re really grateful for the opportunity, as it brings us to an audience we want to make contact with.”
She said as well as courses for 16 to 18-year-olds, the college also offers a range of adult and apprenticeship courses.
She said: “We’ve seen the numbers from the Gainsborough area increase over the last couple of years, particularly the more we’ve been working with West Lindsey District Council.”
Sharon added that the college now runs minibuses to bring people from the area to their open days.
“We are only ten miles away, so there’s an opportunity for people from the Gainsborough area to come to a college that isn’t too far away.”
Sarah Shemilt, representing STEP Fusion at the event, said she has been carrying out a lot of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) work, because these are the kinds of skills needed for the project at West Burton.
She said: “We want to get people excited about these new opportunities that are going to be here, literally on their doorstep.”
Alongside Sarah were also representatives from LIOS, the company appointed by UK Fusion Energy as a construction partner for the STEP Fusion Programme at West Burton.
Andrew Curran, from LIO, said: “We’ll be working on the initial design and construction of the STEP Fusion project and we’re here today because we want to get people familiar with who we are.
“We expect to offer opportunities across a range of roles, from apprentices and early-career entrants to experienced professionals, so it’s important that we start building those local connections now.”
The fair formed part of wider partnership work to support residents into employment, education and training, while helping local employers connect with potential candidates and promote opportunities in West Lindsey.
Amanda Bouttell, Employment and Skills Lead at West Lindsey District Council, said: “The Careers and Training Fair gave people the chance to speak with employers face-to-face, ask questions, collect information and find out more about local opportunities. Events like this help boost confidence and put people in a stronger position when taking that important step into work, education or training.”
The event was delivered with support from ACIS Group, the Department for Work and Pensions, West Lindsey District Council and members of the West Lindsey Employment and Skills Partnership.