WMJobs Career Expo: Strengthening public sector talent attraction

Strengthening talent attraction across the public sector

Across the West Midlands, councils and other public sector organisations face increasing challenges attracting talent into a wide range of opportunities, as competition for skills grows and awareness of public sector careers continues to be limited.

We gathered feedback from employers and jobseekers, as well as our resourcing networks, which highlighted a clear need to strengthen how we collectively attract talent and the importance of face to face interaction. Jobseekers often have limited awareness of the range of roles available beyond traditional perceptions of local government careers, and many lack confidence in navigating the recruitment process or understanding career pathways – especially as recruitment journeys often start online.

At the same time, employers are continuously seeking ways to engage potential candidates, build future talent pipelines and position themselves as modern, purpose driven employers of choice. In response, West Midlands Employers, under the WMJobs brand, identified an opportunity to bring together employers and support organisations for a regional event – designed not just as a recruitment fair, but a platform to raise awareness of careers across the sector and support jobseekers to feel confident and job ready.

The Expo also provided an opportunity for organisations to promote the public sector collectively and strengthen the region’s approach to talent attraction, while also providing a platform to launch the Life Changing Jobs campaign.

Bringing employers, support and advice together

These conversations highlighted the need to do more than advertise vacancies. Jobseekers want clearer visibility of the breadth of careers available across local government and the wider public sector and more support to feel confident engaging with employers and the recruitment process. As a result, the Expo was designed to bring together employers, support organisations and practical career advice in one place.

Alongside showcasing opportunities, the event also incorporated elements that would help reduce barriers for jobseekers – including accessible spaces, practical workshops and opportunities for one to one support.

This approach allowed employers to promote their opportunities and employer value propositions, while also helping jobseekers better understand the range of roles available across the public sector and how they might begin exploring those careers and applying for roles.

Turning insight into future recruitment action

The Expo successfully engaged a wide and diverse audience, strengthening awareness of careers and supporting employers to connect with potential future talent. The feedback gathered also provided valuable insight to help shape future recruitment strategies.

The audience ranged from ages 15 to 55, with 41% of those engaging with the event aged under 35 – highlighting the success in engaging a younger audience and supporting early talent pipeline development. Insights from jobseekers reinforced the importance of clearly articulating career pathways, providing practical advice that builds confidence and knowledge and enabling direct conversations with employers.

The insights gained will inform future initiatives and the continued development of our resourcing services – enabling us to support organisations across the region to strengthen their approach to attracting and engaging talent in response to current and future workforce challenges.