PEOPLE interested in a career in child care are being invited to attend an event in Hartlepool this week.

A day-long recruitment fair is being held in the Middleton Grange shopping centre on Friday.

The chance to obtain information about the career and watch a video is on offer, to encourage people to work in child care and early years education.

The ten-minute video, which includes footage of early years education staff, childcarers and children, is to be distributed through the town with the aim of showing how rewarding the job can be.

Margaret Hayden, child care development officer, said: "We are keen to recruit people to ensure there is a pool of qualified staff available to take advantage of child care jobs that are expected to be created in the town in the not too distant future."

The Hartlepool Early Years Development Child Care Partnership is particularly keen to recruit more men, over 40s, people from ethnic minorities and the disabled.

Ms Hayden said: "We estimate that up to 70 new jobs could be created if funding from the Government's Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative is approved for six new day nursery projects."

Although full details of the six proposed projects are not yet available they are likely to centre on the Park and Jackson wards, the Marina, the Headland and the southern end of town.

Information packs about careers in child care are available by contacting (01429) 284284