More than 600 jobseekers attend major post Eurovision recruitment fair

HUNDREDS of jobseekers descended on ACC Liverpool for a major post Eurovision recruitment fair. The event built on the success of the City Region's Eurovision recruitment drive which aimed to fill thousands of vacancies in the thriving hospitality and leisure sector ahead of the Song Contest, back in May 2023.

The latest jobs fair, called:- 'Beyond Eurovision; 1 Step Further,' attracted more than:- 600 jobseekers, 30 employers and 12 training providers with more than 650 vacancies available in the visitor sector and other parts of the economy.

It featured hospitality and leisure firms as well as the NHS, health and social care providers, the Army and firms working in:- logistics, security and retail, with some roles attracting salaries of more than �30,000 a year and on the day job offers made to suitable candidates.

Early figures from the event show 74 people were offered jobs on the day, with 127 securing second interviews and 129 application forms handed out.

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Executive Director for Investment and Delivery, Aileen Jones, said:- "Eurovision was a huge boost for the Liverpool City Region, its people and its visitor economy, and the recruitment fairs we held were extremely popular and very successful. This latest event builds on that momentum, widening the focus from the visitor economy to other sectors, including:- health, social care, security, logistics and retail."

The latest event was the last in a Eurovision themed recruitment campaign organised by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Liverpool City Council and the Growth Platform, with venue support from ACC Liverpool.

Starting on 1 March 2023, with a major jobs fair at the ACC Liverpool, the campaign saw more than 3,000 people attend events across the City Region.

A series of careers roadshows were held including:- mini recruitment events, a campaign to raise awareness of the hospitality and tourism economy and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) pop up jobcentres in Liverpool ONE and across the Region.

Work is now underway to gauge the economic effect of hosting Eurovision on behalf of Ukraine, which saw an estimated � a million extra visitors to the City Region and a TV audience of 162 million viewers. A report is expected later this year.

Initial feedback from the recruitment events showed that:- 3,287 jobseekers, 173 employers and 52 skills support providers attended the events.

More than 6,000 vacancies were advertised with:- 394 on the day job offers, and 3,216 2nd interviews.

The campaign showcased current vacancies and long term careers in the City Region's �5bn visitor economy.

Janet Nuzum, Visitor Economy Sector Manager at Growth Platform; Liverpool City Region Growth Company said:- "It is important we continue to build on the amazing success we had delivering recruitment fairs across the City Region under the banner of Eurovision. These events showed us what an appetite there is for people looking for roles in hospitality and the wider visitor economy. That is why the:- 'Eurovision and Beyond' recruitment fair went beyond the hospitality sector and showcase job opportunities across a range of sectors, including:- the visitor economy, health, retail, security, education and logistics, to name but a few."

Nicki O'Connor, NW Strategic Partnership Lead for the DWP, added:- "Working with our partners across the City Region we want to build on the success of Eurovision and support those who either need a 1st step into work or managed to gain some experience during the event and can look into wider sectors. The support we can provide can also assist those returning to work in later life or to help them consider their transferable skills for other sectors."

In 2022, Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram, unveiled a �4.5m, 2 year strategy with a raft of urgent interventions and longer term measures to help the City Region's hospitality and tourism industry return to full health after it was devastated by the pandemic.

In October 2022, Be More; a new, all in 1 training and careers portal, complete with an AI powered app; was launched to connect residents with employment and opportunities.

Mersey Care roll out Urgent Treatment Centres (UTCs)

3 Walk In Centres across Cheshire and Merseyside are being upgraded to Urgent Treatment Centres to include improved facilities, from this autumn, as part of a national redesign to ensure consistency of service for local communities.

It will increase the number of UTCs across the Region run by Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust to 4 with Litherland having been upgraded in 2019. The UTCs, which are open from:- 8am to 8pm, are a GP led service supported by highly skilled clinical practitioners and will be based at:-

Kirkby (St Chads) Urgent Treatment Centre.
Old Swan Urgent Treatment Centre.
South Liverpool (Garston) Urgent Treatment Centre.
Litherland Urgent Treatment Centre.

In addition to treating minor minor injuries and illnesses that are not an emergency, the new UTCs are aiming to include:- diagnostics, urine tests and x-rays, and prescribe medication and issue prescriptions for some conditions. They will also be able to refer patients to other urgent care services within the community and Hospitals.

Dr Rachel Williams, Clinical Director of Same Day Urgent Care, said:- "We're delighted to receive these new statuses which recognises the full offer that's available to our patients. We're making care easier to access and closer to home. Anyone facing an urgent health need requiring same day care shouldn't hesitate to visit us. They are still in exactly the same place, just look for the new name and please remember to call NHS 111 in advance."

Patients wishing to attend UTCs can simply turn up without making an appointment, however it's recommended that people call NHS 111 in advance to check this is the service they require. You can also book an appointment by ringing 111.

Mersey Care also runs 4 Walk In Centres (WICs) that are continuing to be developed:-