The 250 Dunedin Cadbury workers expected to be out of work by Christmas could be matched up with new employers at an ''employment expo'' in Dunedin in November.
Hosted by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), Cadbury owner Mondelez and the Dunedin City Council, businesses across the province have been invited to attend so the workers, who are being made redundant, can meet prospective new employers.
Businesses were emailed on Tuesday about securing a space at the November 11 expo at the Dunedin Town Hall.
The 250 workers are expected to finish work at the Cadbury factory before Christmas and another 100 staff are expected to finish by April next year, after Mondelez decided to close the factory.
MSD acting labour market manager Deb Sutton said the expo was organised by MSD and backed by Mondelez and a range of other organisations and government agencies.
It was part of a wider programme of support by ''City Force'', a group of representatives from local business, the chamber of commerce and employers' associations, Inland Revenue and the Dunedin City Council, set up in the wake of news the factory would close.
Ms Sutton said prospective employers were identified from pre-existing contacts from the City Force membership group and economic development agencies across the southern region.
It hoped to have up to 50 employers at the event and encouraged any employers who had not received an invitation to contact MSD.
Clutha Development client liaison manager Karla McPhee said it wanted to encourage people to explore opportunities to live and work in the Clutha district.
''[The Cadbury factory] have got electricians and engineers available which are the trades people we'd be looking at attracting to the area,'' Ms McPhee said.
Clutha Development would assist Clutha businesses to attend the expo, she said.
The Otago Daily Times understands at least one Oamaru business would attend the event.
The event invitation to businesses said Cadbury staff were ''highly recommended'' as reliable, steady workers with a proven work ethic and skill in meeting production targets.
Some of the employees were fitters, electricians, engineers as well as those with specialist roles such as engineering planners, store persons, procurement, quality controllers and health and safety workers.
Many of the production staff had food safety and manufacturing qualifications, it said.
