Member for Throsby Stephen Jones and Member for Cunningham Sharon Bird say local job seekers should take advantage of the hundreds of jobs and training opportunities on offer today at the Illawarra Jobs Expo.

Todays expo is a rare opportunity for locals looking for work, to meet with employers and training providers all under one roof, said Jones.

Therell be over 300 jobs advertised, as well as 100 vocational training programs to help skill locals for the jobs of the future.

Around a dozen of these will be from business who received funding from the previous Labor Government under the Illawarra Region Innovation and Investment Fund (IRIIF).

Its fantastic to see IRIIF is delivering on its objectives to create secure local jobs and diversify the Illawarras economic and employment base, said Ms Bird.

These business will join a host of growing local sectors at the Illawarra Jobs Expo like hospitality, health and aged care.

With an ageing population, the aged care industry is now our fastest growing employment sector.

There will be a number of representatives on hand today to discuss the range of careers, including care roles, which are available.

Local Employment Co-ordinator Jane Robinson says all of the major Job Services Australia representatives also will be at the event, including those from Centrelink, TAFE and State Training Services.

Our Jobs and skills expos in the Illawarra have a strong record of linking jobseekers with employers, said Ms Robinson.

More than 500 locals were connected with reliable, meaningful jobs and training opportunities in Wollongong in March 2010.

Im confident we can see a similar result at todays Expo.