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.
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.
Students at Newbury College showed their support for World Mental Health Day today by writing positive words of encouragement for each other on specially designed t-shirts. According to the NHS, as many as one in four people are affected by a mental illness in the UK. The positivi-T' t-shirts, which are on display at the College, are a thought-provoking way for the students to openly discuss and share issues surrounding mental health.
College Sport Maker, Louise Neil, said: We were delighted by the fact that so many students came forward and wanted to get involved, as it is not always easy for students to openly share their feelings on this subject. We also distributed the NHS's Little Book of Sunshine ' a book offering tips to help young people cope with stress.
Tutorial Programme Manager, Steve Greenwood, said: Working with the students on World Mental Health Day is the start of a concerted campaign to highlight and improve the wellbeing of our students. Here at the College we are fortunate enough to have our own counselling service and a highly experienced team of pastoral tutors. The event helps to raise the profile of mental health at College and highlights the hugely important role that students and education professionals have in providing support and solutions.
Local youth counselling service Time to Talk' was also present at the event and provided display materials. World Mental Health Day was promoted locally by West Berkshire Council and its Emotional Health Academy. The event was used to obtain feedback to improve services locally.
Dr Anne Murdoch, Principal and CEO of Newbury College, was a guest on The Breeze Radio station's Round at Sir John's programme on Sunday 8th October. Every Sunday morning at 10:30am, Sir John speaks to influential people in the Reading area. On the programme Anne discusses her life in education and talks about what Newbury College can offer students.
Are you looking for your next job or considering a change of career? Do you need help with interview techniques and updating your CV? Are you considering an apprenticeship?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then come along to the West Berkshire Work and Careers Fair to find out more. Hosted at Newbury College, Monks Lane on Wed 11 October between 1-6pm, the event can put you in touch with approximately 40 local companies looking for new employees to join their team. Exhibiting organisations include Amberjack, Bluegrasscoms, David Wilson Homes, Debenhams, Priors Court, Sovereign Housing, TK Maxx, West Berkshire Council and many more.
For those seeking advice and tips on how to improve their job prospects, Adviza is running workshops covering interview techniques, presentation skills and CV writing throughout the event. Newbury College's apprenticeship team will be on hand to discuss how an apprenticeship can kick start your career and its current vacancy opportunities.
The event is supported by Elevate West Berkshire, helping 16-24 year-olds gain the skills they need for employment.
Secondary schools are welcome to bring students from year 10 upwards to help them gain inspiration for future job paths. All visitors are encouraged to sign up for the event in advance via the event web page, or visit West Berkshire Work and Careers Fair website for more details.