WHITEHILL and Bordon townsfolk looking for work were given the chance to meet more than 29 employers, training providers and employability groups at the East Hampshire Job Fair.

The annual event, running since 2012, was held at the Forest Community Centre in Bordon.

It came as figures, published last week by the Office For National Statistics, show the rate of unemployment is now at its lowest level since 1975 - at 4.5 per cent - with full-time employment also at a record high of more than 23.5million (with 23.53m people working full-time in March to May 2017) - this was up 133,000 from the previous quarter and 364,000 higher than a year earlier.

The number of unemployed people in East Hampshire remains largely unchanged, however the district is one of the better performers in the country with a low rate of out-of-work claimants.

East Hampshire MP Damian Hinds welcomed the news but said: “There is still more to do.”

And that is exactly what the East Hampshire Job Fair strove to do - to give local jobseekers that extra boost.

Opened by the Mayor of Whitehill Colin Leach, the event offered participants free employability workshops, free refreshments supplied by Radian’s catering service RKdia, free NHS health checks and the chance take home a free refurbished bike.

Eastleigh-based Radian, one of the south’s biggest housing providers, supported the event in association with the East Hampshire Employability Group.

Janice Waterman, project co-ordinator for Radian’s employment, support and training team, said: “This was the seventh employability fair we’ve been involved with in East Hampshire.

“It is recognised that there are a lot of residents in the area who want to work, although many have ongoing obstacles to overcome before they can sustain employment. The employment, support and training team recognises this, so the day is aimed at providing as much guidance and advice as possible to support individuals with employment barriers and goals.”

Every year since 2012 the Employability Group has organised events to provide training information, work-experience placements and job and volunteering opportunities to everyone in East Hampshire.

But Whitehill and Bordon, which has hosted the event for a number of years, falls into the group’s sights as a town which could benefit from its work. Although acknowledging that unemployment is either reducing or is stable in most local areas, the Employability Group decided to focus its attention on Bordon in light of the garrison moving away at the end of 2015.

The closure of Prince Philip Barracks, as a consequence of the army’s move to Lyneham in Wiltshire, meant the town saw a dip in population and lost a significant local employer.

This, however, is likely to be temporary with a forecasted population increase (from 14,000 to 21,000 over the next 20 years) as well as the target to provide 5,500 new jobs as part of the town regeneration project.

Free transport to and from the event was provided by Alton Community Centre, which collected people from Alton, Petersfield and Headley.

The National Careers Service provided free workshops on transferable skills, customer service and work experience, with employers - including Sainsbury’s, Barratt Homes, Adecco Group, Tooties Day Nursery and Voyage Care - offering live vacancies. Radian also worked alongside Parkside Leisure to refurbish bikes.

A spokesman for Hampshire Fire and Rescue’s Princes Trust said: “This was a positive event, the staff are always helpful and we spoke to more young people about recruiting than ever before.”