Jobs and Career Fair is success in terms of supporting community

BALLYFERMOT Civic Centre was the chosen location for the Liffey Partnership’s job and career fair this year, welcoming over 300 prospective employees and a range of companies and employment organisations.

The fair was held in October to allow employers to hire ahead of the upcoming Christmas period, which benefited jobseekers also, as they were given the chance to get their foot in the door during what will be a competitive employment period.

The Ballyfermot Civic Centre proved the perfect venue for this year’s fair, providing plenty of space for the stand holders and local training and support organisations, such as MABS, Citizens Information and the Irish National Organisation for the Unemployed.

These organisations provided guidance on training for those seeking work as well as advice on other aspects of the job market.

Previously, the Liffey Partnership held fairs in Cherry Orchard and the Dublin 8 area, having first begun in 2023.

Liffey Partnership’s Local Area Employment Services Manager, Mike Burger, spoke about this year’s fair in the Civic Centre and its success.

“It enabled us to have far more stand holders, and the stand holders generally are employers that are looking to recruit.

We do it at this time of year because it hits the Christmas recruitment window, particularly for those in hospitality and retail.”

This year, the Irish AI Consultancy attended the fair and held a workshop for the employers and stand holders, which “went down well” with everyone.

To ensure the job fair was accessible to all, organisers held a sensory hour to welcome individuals with sensory issues, giving them “an equal chance” to speak with employers and look into job opportunities.

“The Civic Centre has its own sensory room, which they’ve just had redeveloped in the last 12 months, and it’s brilliant.

It’s got all sorts of things for people who need that type of environment where they are not overstimulated,” Mike said.

A great effort was made to spread the word about the job fair around the South Dublin area to ensure anyone who is looking for employment was aware of the event.

“Leading up to the event, we had around 11,000 leaflets sent round to the Dublin 10 and Dublin 20 areas, and the Intreo centres sent leaflets around to the job seekers in the areas too.”

“We took a lot of feedback from [attendees] on how they heard about the event, and it was fairly representative of the work we did”, including “leaflets and social media posts.”

“It was very inclusive, and it was a success in terms of supporting the local community and offering them advice and guidance that they maybe wouldn’t get on a on a day-to- day basis unless they come to the partnership itself.”

The Liffey Partnership, which has offices in Ballyfermot, provides a range of supports including “job preparation, training and work placements.

‘We also have specially designed programmes to supports for people in recovery, people with a disability and employers looking for staff.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme