More than 2,500 people took the first step toward a brighter future at The Argus Careers and Training Fair.

The event at The Dome, Brighton, in its tenth year, featured 32 stands run by companies from across the industrial spectrum.

They included opportunities for jobs in IT, healthcare, retail, the charity sector and transport.

Three seminars, run by Sussex Careers, were also organised to help jobseekers uncertain of their future find the right vocation.

Firms vied for the attention of future employees despite economic uncertainty, particularly in Brighton's tourist industry, because of a possible war with Iraq.

Recruitment agency psbstaffsign, which is a regular at the fair, said it repeated the success of previous events.

Supervisor Sarah Wells said: "It was a great opportunity as we got to see people in volume and we are always looking for new recruits."

The owners of Palace Pier returned for the second year to build up staff for the tourist season.

Training and personnel manager Helen Dallimore-Jones said: "We employ a lot of staff over Easter and the summer so we are hoping for a good response."

The size of the fair, and the calibre of the employers and job seekers, makes it one of the most important in Sussex.

Other stalls included NHS South Downs Health, South Central, Office Angels, Smartfish, Lloyds TSB, Preferred Mortgages, NTL, Inkfish and The Samaritans.

Event organiser Lisa Standing said the fair was a magnet for employers.

She said: "Exhibitors can fill their recruitment needs in one day.

"For the employees, it gives them a chance to meet people face to face."

Group classified manager Pip Bolton added: "It is a slower recruitment market but the success of the event shows there is still a lot out there."

Unemployed Martin Took, 27, of The Drive, Hove, said coming to the fair had helped him find a job in the past.

He said: "It is taking longer this time, perhaps because people are worried about employing people before we go to war."

The Corn Exchange will play host to another fair in September and a third is planned for June at a venue yet to be confirmed.