HEXHAM’S Wentworth Leisure Centre played host to the third annual Tynedale Jobs Fair last Thursday.

Hundreds of people were given the chance to speak face to face with nearly 50 local businesses and employers looking to recruit new staff to posts in sectors including retail, contruction, administration and the armed forces.

Organised by Hexham Job Centre Plus, MP Guy Opperman and supported by Thompsons of Prudhoe and Northumberland County Council, the event ran between 10am and 4pm.

M&S, Waitrose, the Co-op and Tesco all had a presence alongside Gentoo Homes, Owen Pugh, intu Metrocentre and energy company Vattenfall.

Pupils from Prudhoe Community High School and Corbridge Middle School also visited the event to find out what jobs and opportunities were available in the school holidays and in the long-term before they made important subject choices at GCSE level.

“Employment levels in Northumberland are remarkably high, with only three per cent of the Hexham constituency population unemployed, and the North-East employment rate is at a record high,” Mr Opperman said after the event.

“This Government has already done so much to tackle unemployment, with 4,380 new apprenticeships created in the constituency since 2010, but there is still more to be done.

“That’s why it is so important to hold events like the Tynedale Jobs Fair to help as many people as possible find the right job for them.

“I am delighted that the event was such a resounding success.”