Over 40 businesses took part in the West Berkshire Work and Careers Fair at Newbury College on Wednesday 11 October. The event provided an opportunity for organisations to network and showcase their employment opportunities to the students and wider West Berkshire community. 60% of surveyed visitors said they would be applying for the jobs that were on offer at the event.
As well as seeing the exhibitors, visitors were able to obtain advice on apprenticeships, tips for successful job hunting and attend 1-2-1 CV workshops.
Participating organisations included Marks and Spencer, Debenhams, Metro Bank, West Berkshire Council, Adviza, Priors Court, Dawnus Construction, and many more.
Commenting on the event, Ben Bealing, Senior Candidate Management Specialist, Amberjack, said: We had a great afternoon networking and meeting new people. The event provided a great opportunity for us to share our brand with the emerging talent of Newbury.
Adéle Kelly, PA to FD/HR Coordinator, David Wilson Homes, said: The event allowed us to connect with the local community and encourage people to consider roles within the construction industry.
Almost 40% of registered visitors said they were looking for full-time job opportunities, whilst almost 20% came to find out more about apprenticeships. Approximately 60 children from local secondary schools attended with their parents to evaluate future career options.
We were very pleased to see so many parents bring their children to the event after school, said Anne Murdoch, Newbury College Principal and CEO. We hope it gave them inspiration for the future and that it will help them make choices about what they want to do when they leave school. Anyone seeking further careers advice is welcome to book an appointment with our impartial Information, Advice and Guidance team. We'd like to extend our thanks to all of the organisations involved in making the event a success.
The event was supported by Elevate West Berkshire, helping 16-24 year-olds gain the skills they need for employment, and West Berkshire Council. Additional sponsorship came from Local Buzz, The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and Newbury Weekly News.