City of Bristol College has once again partnered with Bristol South MP Karin Smyth, Bristol City Council and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to present the annual Jobs and Apprenticeship Fair.
This year this exciting event will be hosted virtually on Thursday, 25 March. Previously the event at the College’s South Bristol Skills Academy (SBSA) has attracted over 60 employers.
The All About Jobs & Apprenticeships event will run from 3-6pm with three informative and engaging virtual sessions. These will focus on key areas to inform, support and advise on education, training and employment opportunities. This includes highlighting alternative job and career paths.
The event is ideal for jobseekers, those looking to change jobs or progress their careers and for students about to finish school or college.
City of Bristol College’s Principal and Chief Executive, Andy Forbes, said: “As we emerge from the pandemic and get the economy back up and running again, we need to invest in young people and the future. Apprenticeships are a vital way of up-skilling and re-skilling the workforce and getting everyone back into good quality jobs and careers.”
The event will start at 3pm with the first session, ‘Focus on Getting A Job’, involving advice from experts on the current employment market and DWP programmes for support into work. It will also feature Jobcentre support and Partners in Bristol, explaining traineeships, apprenticeships and The Kickstart Academy. There will also be highlights from the Ways2Work website such as advice on courses available, volunteering options and input from the National Careers Service. There will also be specialist input from a local business professional on what employers are looking for at interviews.
Councillor Anna Keen, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills at Bristol City Council, said: “We know that looking for a job in the current climate is extremely challenging and that jobseekers are facing real barriers. The All About Jobs and Apprenticeships online event is a great opportunity for people to find expert advice to help find the right job or training for them, for whatever stage they are at in their career.”
The jobs and apprenticeships fair has been hosted at SBSA for several years and was conceived by Bristol South MP Karin Smyth, in a bid to raise awareness of career, education and training opportunities in South Bristol.
She said: “I know that the past twelve months have been incredibly difficult for us all, and there are still tricky times to come as we move out of lockdown and start to look beyond the pandemic. But I also know that many of us – and particularly young people, have been disproportionately affected by Coronavirus in so many ways – want to take this opportunity to give serious thought to their future.”
The All About Jobs and Apprenticeships event is a great chance to find out about the options open to you. I would urge anyone who needs some inspiration for their next steps to join us and find out more about the opportunities available.”
Karin Smyth MP will lead the second session, ‘Focus on Apprenticeships’, from 4-5pm. She will be joined by experts who will outline how apprenticeships work and how to apply. The discussion will also include what employers are looking for as well as tips on how to stand-out in the crowd and the numerous non-medical career opportunities within the NHS.
Also joining the conversation will be representatives from the construction sector who will talk about the opportunities at the College’s new £9 million Advanced Construction Skills Centre at SBSA, which will open in September.
Concluding the session will be the College’s Assistant Director of Further and Higher Education, Alexandra Moruzzi, who will chair a seminar on the Health, Nursing and Social Care sector.
The session, which will be suitable for anyone wishing to pursue or progress a career in the industry, will run from 5-6pm and will discuss job and training opportunities in the city.
Current and former students will share their experience of studying Health, Nursing and Social Care and how they have progressed through the College. The session will highlight course options offered at its centres as well as hearing from employers about the opportunities available in the city.
Alexandra Moruzzi said: “The Health, Nursing and Social Care provision has taken centre stage during the pandemic and, during our session, we would like to highlight the importance of this vital industry. Health, Nursing and Social Care encompasses adult care, nursing, midwifery, paediatric nursing, social work and so much more. This session is an opportunity for people of all ages to find out how to get into this profession and progression routes through to leadership and management opportunities.”
The DWP and Jobcentre Plus have been working with the Bristol City Council, the College and Karin Smyth MP to support the event. The Council are working hard to ensure the local community is aware that the event is still taking place this year and will be distributing thousands of leaflets through doors in the coming weeks.
Miss out on the event? Don’t worry – all of the talks can be found here.
