Employment Fair transforms Fira de Barcelona into a showcase for jobs, training, and trades

The world of work is a landscape of fierce competition and niche opportunities. Navigating it without guidance or insight can easily become an impossible task for many. Knowing how to craft an effective CV, choosing the right words in an interview, or selecting the job listings that match one’s background is a real hurdle for young people, but also for adults seeking a career pivot. Now, technology has become deeply embedded in recruitment processes, introducing even more changes to how people land a job. For all these reasons, the Employment Fair (Saló de l'Ocupació) returns to Fira de Barcelona to answer questions, host interviews, and support anyone looking to enter or advance in the labour market. Backed by Barcelona City Council through Barcelona Activa, the gathering runs from 21 to 22 October to reinforce direct links with employers, tailored guidance, continuous training, and upskilling.

"The Employment Fair is an outstanding platform for individuals navigating this stage of career orientation and job hunting," explains Carol Lorenzo, Director of Career Guidance at Barcelona Activa, speaking to The New Barcelona Post. For Lorenzo, it is vital to underline that "the vacancies featured offer a faithful snapshot of current labour market demand," and therefore, "if a candidate holds a professional profile sought by one of the participating companies, they can access it right here." Precisely for this reason, around a hundred organisations present resources and services aimed at enhancing employability and helping each attendee build an action plan aligned with their professional goals. Running under the motto Te abrimos puertas (Opening Doors for You), the initiative targets young people entering the workforce for the first time, as well as active jobseekers, professionals looking to change industries, and employees seeking to upgrade their skills. Facing large turnout – over 19,000 registrations, according to Lorenzo – the fair has created a structured journey allowing visitors to identify interests and competencies, discover new career pathways, and fine-tune their applications for upcoming selection processes.

Walking through the exhibition hall reveals a substantial presence of young people, primarily students with a few years of study ahead who are already scouting a potential entry route into the working world. There are also adults: individuals seemingly looking for a second chance, a career change, or simply to explore the jobs of tomorrow. One of the most popular zones, spurred by this desire among youth to enter the labour market well-prepared, is the area dedicated to CV advisory clinics, professional headshots, and mock interviews. Specifically, the latest addition to the schedule is Talent en directe (Live Talent), an initiative designed to facilitate speed interviews based on candidate profiles, accelerating the match between talent supply and demand. This interview hub has also generated significant buzz around Factorial’s red booth. This setup allows visitors to conduct a job interview with artificial intelligence – a futuristic bet that offers a glimpse into what recruitment may look like in the years ahead. "Artificial intelligence can support us in showcasing our competencies and experience, making applications more attractive and competitive in the job market," notes the Director of Career Guidance at Barcelona Activa.

The importance of vocational trades

While the Fair naturally focuses on emerging employment avenues, it does not overlook traditional and technical trades, which form a vital cornerstone of the Catalan economy and constantly recruit fresh talent. The Taller d'Oficis (Vocational Workshop) is a training and employment programme tailored for young residents of Barcelona under 30, featured prominently inside the fair. The initiative operates across two stages: six months of instruction running from January to June, followed by a paid work placement under an employment contract. During the training phase, candidates undertake specialised modules based on their chosen field, designed to provide a first-hand introduction to the workplace. The programme spans two core disciplines: the Entertainment and Creative Industries Workshop, covering specialisations such as production assistant, stage management, lighting design, audiovisuals, and sound; and the Barcelona for Nature Workshop, featuring environmental education, forestry, floral design, and Mediterranean landscaping. Each cohort is capped at just eight students, keeping the instruction small-group and highly intensive.

The event hosts several of the practical workshops delivered throughout the academic year. To help young attendees appreciate what these vocational sectors entail, they are invited to try the practical skills first-hand. When asked about placement outcomes, municipal administrators tell this publication that some students "do not even finish the course." Far from being a setback, they explain that work placements frequently turn into direct pathways to permanent employment.

Knowledge of labour rights

At the same time, the fair aims to provide a safe, trusted space for all workers, whether currently employed or seeking clarity before kicking off a job hunt. For this reason, a dedicated stand focuses on labour rights – "the great unknown of the workplace," notes David Nàcher, from Barcelona City Council’s Youth Department. He explains that the labour rights desk is the product of joint collaboration between Barcelona's Youth Information Points, Barcelona Activa, and the Youth Employment Office. At the fair, staff assist individuals who have experienced labour violations, such as "being dismissed without receiving their final pay slip, or working regular shifts without overtime compensation," Nàcher points out. In such instances, advisers offer direct guidance and, if the case requires judicial resolution, refer the individual to legal channels. They also handle general employment queries from young workers.

The fair also features contributions from over 40 speakers and specialists drawn from career guidance, human resources, training, and digital transformation. Participants include experts in artificial intelligence applied to recruitment and employment, talent acquisition and development, alongside practitioners from sectors facing acute demand for skilled profiles, who deliver the congress masterclasses. Furthermore, substantial emphasis is placed on lifelong learning and professional reskilling, showcasing practical training pathways, university micro-credentials, and vocational certificates. All told, an event engineered for anyone interested in the labour market – especially those stepping in for the very first time, but equally geared toward those looking to pivot careers.