Hundreds of people, young and old, gathered at the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre (BMEC) to further their employment prospects through the guidance of various stalls and speakers on show.

More than 290 exhibitors had the latest employment information on hand for job seekers, while a centrally located bulletin board advertised current vacancies for those ready to jump right in to the workforce. 

VERTO was among the exhibitors and proved a very popular point of call for many expo patrons. 

Regional co-ordinator Wendy Dwyer said staff at the VERTO booth were run off their feet with questions from people about the jobs, services, training and Australian apprenticeships they could offer. 

“It just hasn’t stopped, with people inquiring about training and jobs,” she said.

“It is a very positive atmosphere. People have been asking genuine questions about what is going on in the market. 

“It is a wide and varied audience.”

Among the crowd of job seekers was local resident Evelyn Sowter, who stopped by the VERTO booth looking for advice about upskilling and working in business administration or case management. 

“I want some advice on how to get back into the workforce,” she said. 

Ms Sowter pointed out that many jobs seekers were unaware of just how many employment resources there were locally, so having them all in one location for a day was “invaluable”. 

Managing director of Invented Future Business Coaching Andrew Able, who was a speaker at the jobs expo, agreed.

“You have all the big agencies in the one area and for its inaugural year it has been a huge success,” Mr Able said.