Brighton MET Career Discovery Fair bridges the gap between employers and jobseekers 

Last Thursday, Brighton MET hosted its first Career Discovery Fair, in partnership with Brighton and Hove job centre and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) 

The fair contained a variety of stalls, from Sussex Police to Achieve Together, an organisation which provides support for people with learning disabilities, autism, PMLD, deafness, hearing loss and associated complex needs. 

The event facilitated meaningful connections and provided valuable insights into various career paths, allowing attendees to broaden their horizons.

Also on offer was career and CV advice, with people having been encouraged to come along with their CVs regardless of if they know what industry they wanted to work in. 

As part of the Opening Doors provision (programmes for job seekers), a variety of free courses and talks were available on the day for anyone wishing to attend. 

The event also gave people the opportunity to network and create contacts with employers in the local community, by providing one-on-one conversations with representatives from various companies, gaining insights into the skills and qualifications required for different professions.  
Employers, in turn, had the opportunity to identify potential candidates and share information about their organisations. 

Anita, an employer advisor for DWP, said: “Brighton MET college is a key partner with us, they provide courses, employability, and support for our customers to feel part of their career growth. 

“Hosting events in different spaces creates a different atmosphere, and venues like Brighton MET are a lovely welcoming space for people to get to know where the college is and to look at the opportunities.” 

One of the organisations that attended the Fair was Sussex Police, who attended to try and promote a variety of front-line roles, such as Community Support Officers, Contact Handlers, and more general police roles. 

Police Sargeant Robert Williams, part of the Positive Action Team, explained: “We are here to make sure that everyone who’s local to the area has the opportunity to join Sussex Police. We are open to all, we want to increase our diversity, and want to make sure we are inclusive. 

”We had 60 or 70 or maybe more people come up to us, with varying degrees of interest and we’ve been able to talk about all our different roles.” 

One of the event attendees, Max, revealed that he used to write songs for the music industry, but that he had decided to take a break away and has since decided to return to the industry: “The support I have had today has been amazing, I’ve just been through a LinkedIn seminar, which gave me up-to-date information about how to apply for jobs. 

“It’s given me information to help me return to music, as well as giving me information for in the meantime.”