Almost 1,000 people braved the snow to attend last week’s Leeds Digital Job Fair, with exhibitors praising the quality of digital and tech candidates.
The event was held at the First Direct Arena and was organised by online jobs board Herd with support from Leeds Business Improvement District (LeedsBID), Leeds City Council and Leeds Beckett University.
One of the best-known debut exhibitors was the Royal Air Force. Speaking afterwards, Flight Lieutenant Phil Todd said: “This was the first year the RAF had attended the Leeds Digital Job Fair and we will definitely be looking to attend at the next event. The calibre of candidates and the number of job seekers was above expectation, and perfect for a technological force like the RAF.
“RAF Careers doesn’t normally follow the crowd, it leads it. However, as a result of the success of the Leeds Digital Jobs Fair, we think this is definitely a Herd worth joining forces with. Great candidates, with a multitude of talents, looking to start a career or finding their next career step in the digital world.”
Another debutant was Leeds-based automotive data specialist cap hpi.
Joel Albyn, cap hpi product and innovation director, said: “This was our first time at the Leeds Digital Job Fair and we couldn’t be happier with how it went. Despite the snow, it was clear from the moment the doors opened that the ‘digital talent’ of Leeds was out in force and we were quickly inundated with folks wanting to talk about our development, product and data analytics roles.
“We talked to some great people with a wide range of experiences and skills, capturing the details of literally hundreds of interested candidates over the four hours. The event was huge success from our perspective – and the snow just added to the occasion!”
The event was also praised by Dan Tanham, digital deputy director at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), who said he was “overwhelmed” with the quantity – and quality – of the delegates.
“It was great to meet them and share more about what we do at DWP Digital, as well as to learn from them about the changing expectations and experiences of highly skilled graduates from really quite varied backgrounds,” he said.
“This city clearly has a bright future driven by the engine of a vibrant digital skills community.”