CONFIRMATIONS of exhibitors at the Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre Job Fair near Gillingham have begun pouring in. So far 32 organisations have been booked for the event being run in association with the Medway Today and Medway Messenger newspapers.

A range of exhibitors will be at the job fair, being staged between April 29 and May 4, giving people the choice to look for a new career.

The Royal Navy will run one of the stalls, with the service setting out to prove it has a wealth of options for potential recruits.

Warrant Officer Mike Lee said: "There are so many different careers open to people in the Royal Navy. There's more than 40 different branches of careers in the navy, from operational mechanics to pilots and from chefs to meteorologists."

During the job fair the Royal Navy will set up a stall with photographs and pamphlets and have people on hand to discuss possible careers.

Warrant Officer Lee said: "We are looking for people between the ages of 16 and 33, and 95 per cent of our jobs are also open to females. We are searching for people with drive and ambition, and also people who work well in a team environment."

Another organisation hosting a stall at the job fair is the NHS Trust. James Devine, of human resources at Medway, said: "We see the job fair as a means of promoting the NHS. Although the main two careers are nurses and doctors, we want to get across the message that there are literally hundreds of other careers available in the NHS. We employ anybody from the age of 16 upwards."

Other organisations booked include Mid Kent College, Arrow Computer Services, Allied Healthcare, Adecco and MHS Housing.

Jean York, promotions manager at Hempstead Valley, said: "We are hoping the job fair will prove useful to those people looking for their first job to others who fancy a change of careers. It's never too late."