BOOKINGS for stands at the Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre Job Fair this month are pouring in.

So far 32 organisations have signed up for the Medway event, with another 20 expected to follow. The job fair follows a successful wedding exhibition at the centre in March - both events run in association with Medway Today and the Medway Messenger.

Among exhibitors is The Royal Navy. Warrant Officer Mike Lee said: "There are over 40 different branches of careers in the navy, from operational mechanics to pilots and from chefs to meteorologists. There's huge scope for different strengths and abilities."

James Devine, of human resources at Medway NHS Trust, 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.

"There are jobs available for pharmacists, porters, clerical workers, maintenance and ambulance staff. We employ anybody from the age of 16 upwards and there are vacancies for school leavers as well as people closer to the age of retirement."

Mid Kent College, Arrow Computer Services, Allied Healthcare, Adecco and MHS Housing will also be on the recruitment trail.

Jean York, promotions manager at Hempstead Valley, said she hopes the job fair would be a success.

She said: "We are hoping it will prove useful to a wide variety of people, from those looking for their first job to others who fancy a change of careers. It's never too late."

The job fair will run between April 29 and May 4.