CEO Celebrates ‘Huge Success’ of Inaugural Unity Careers Fair
By Barry White
At a glance
Unity Homes and Enterprise successfully hosted its first careers fair in Leeds, attracting 22 exhibitors and numerous attendees from across Yorkshire. The event aimed to connect individuals with job opportunities, training, and career advice, particularly focusing on supporting hard-to-reach communities. The CEO expressed pride in the event's success and emphasised Unity's commitment to helping individuals overcome barriers to improve their lives.
The chief executive of Unity Homes and Enterprise has spoken of his pride following the successful staging of the Leeds-based BME housing association’s first careers fair.
Held at the at the Ramgarhia Sports Centre on Chapeltown Road, the free event attracted 22 exhibitors including Leeds College of Building, Arriva Rail Services, West Yorkshire Police, Leeds United Football Club, Yorkshire Asian Business Association, Bradford College, Equans and Lloyds Bank. They were joined by scores of attendees of all ages from across Yorkshire who had the opportunity to talk to employers and agencies offering jobs, training, careers advice, training and volunteering opportunities. A number of local elected representatives were also present, including Cllr Asghar Ali, Cllr Jane Dowson, Cllr Cristiana Mirosanu and Cllr Mohammed Rafique, together with Fiona Bolam, Leeds City Council’s Chief Officer for Economy and Skills. Food and refreshments were served throughout the day.
Afterwards, the Unity team contacted exhibitors to thank them for their participation and ask for anonymous feedback on the most valuable aspects of the event for their organisation.
One replied: “Being able to talk to new faces, provide advice and support to those who need it and maybe can’t come to our events.”
Another commented: “Networking with other service providers and businesses.”
A third said: “Meeting with the local community and residents and seeing first-hand the positive impact the work Unity are doing is having on them. Also being able to meet some of the Unity team in person and understanding how we can help and provide further support.”
Sean Kelly, Unity Homes and Enterprise Regeneration Manager, said: “We were delighted by the first-class quality of exhibitors and the many interactions they had with everyone who came along to access training and employment opportunities or to seek professional advice.
“There is no doubt that we have set the bar very high with the inaugural Unity Careers Fair.
“Thanks to the feedback and experiences gained, we hope to raise the standard even higher next time around.”
Cedric Boston, Unity Homes and Enterprise Chief Executive, said: “The event was a huge success, and I am proud of our Employment Services team who put it all together.
“Unity is relatively unique in the social housing sector in our commitment to help individuals in hard-to-reach communities overcome the barriers they face to improve their lives.
“We do this by providing a wide range of advice and support services for people to set up their own business, become self-employed, receive training and education, and enter employment for the first time or after a prolonged period of economic inactivity.
“The first Unity Careers Fair will certainly not be the last.”
Editorial insight
Unity Homes and Enterprise’s inaugural careers fair in Leeds highlights the ongoing efforts by locally based housing associations to bridge employment gaps and support underrepresented communities. While careers fairs are a familiar fixture in many cities, Unity’s focus on providing access to employers and training for BME and hard-to-reach groups underlines a practical approach to community regeneration beyond traditional housing services.
For attendees and exhibitors, the event offered direct engagement with employers, public services, and educational institutions, reflecting a broader commitment by regional stakeholders to address barriers to employment. The involvement of local councillors and city officials also signals continued public sector interest in collaborative approaches to economic inclusion within Yorkshire’s diverse communities.
Story ideas and journalist angles
Economic impactRole of Housing Associations in Community Economic Development
Investigate how housing associations like Unity Homes and Enterprise contribute to local economic development beyond providing housing.
Target audience national-news Story potential 8/10 Jobs/employmentImpact of Unity Careers Fair on Local Employment
Examine how the Unity Careers Fair has the potential to influence employment opportunities in the Leeds area, particularly for underrepresented communities.
Target audience local-news Story potential 7/10Issued by Vanbar Associates. Distributed by WebPR UK.
About Vanbar Associates
About Unity Homes and Enterprise Unity Housing Association was formed in 1987 with the objective of building a strong, BME-led, community housing association to address the needs of black and minority ethnic communities in Leeds. The initial focus was on Chapeltown, but this has widened to other areas of the city including Harehills, Beeston, Holbeck, Chapel Allerton and Pudsey. Alongside two schemes in Huddersfield, a new affordable housing development has recently been completed in Cleckheaton. With a turnover of £6.8 million and an annual investment in new and existing homes of around £6.5 million, Unity now manages over 1,386 properties for tenants from all communities and ethnic backgrounds. In 2000 the association established its not-for-profit subsidiary company, Unity Enterprise, to support local entrepreneurial activity. It now provides 153 affordable business units for almost 100 diverse businesses which employ more than 1,250 people. Unity Employment Services (UES) was set up in 2011 to support Unity tenants and their surrounding communities in accessing employment and training opportunities. Over the past year, the team has helped 94 people into employment, 351 into training and eight into voluntary roles. 60 of those benefitting from the team’s help are Unity housing tenants. Since 2011, UES has supported a total of 3,131 people into employment and training.