MORE than 40 firms took part in a jobs fair this week to help unemployed people in Enfield get back into work.

Around 1,200 people turned out to the event on Friday, January 21, where local firms including Rimex Metals and Johnson Matthey mixed with large corporations such as Tesco and Barclays, offering information, advice and potential job opportunities.

A host of seminars and workshops were held at the fair, at Southbury Leisure Centre, which was organised by Enfield North MP Nick de Bois as part of his Big Society initiative for tackling unemployment.

He said: “We expected around 150 to 300 people to turn up, so I was amazed when the figures showed we'd had 1,200 people come to the event.

“As successful as it was, it also says something about the challenge of people looking for work.

“This was an example of local people trying to find a solution to unemployment.”

The latest unemployment figures issued by the Office of National Statistics show the number of Job Seekers Allowance claims in Enfield dropped slightly in December but still remained around the 9,000 mark.

Mr de Bois promised the jobs fair would not just be a one-off, with regular work clubs being set up as a consequence and another mass event being planned within a year.

Details of the work clubs, which will help job seekers look for work placements, job opportunities, and help them boost their employability, can be found here