Buckinghamshire Council’s first ever Jobs and Apprenticeships Fair attracts 800 visitors

Business and Economy, Democracy and Local Affairs, Education

The first ever Buckinghamshire Council Jobs and Apprenticeships Fair took place on Saturday (5 March) at The Elgiva Theatre in Chesham, with nearly 800 people coming along to meet employers showcasing their career opportunities.

The county-wide event, which was sponsored by the Chesham & Villages Community Board and Chesham Town Council, saw dozens of jobs and apprenticeships on offer from 35 businesses and organisations including: Aldi, BBC, Greggs, Morgan Sindall Group, National Grid, Pinewood Studios, Thames Valley Police and The Army.

Jobs and apprenticeships on offer included chefs, communications engineers and retail supervisors.

Gareth Williams, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration, said:
“Our first ever Jobs and Apprenticeships Fair was a great success. It helped match employers with local candidates and has no doubt enabled some of our residents to kickstart their career or get back into work after an extended break.”

Joseph Baum, Buckinghamshire Councillor for Chess Valley, commented:
“I want to thank everyone who made this event happen – the 770 local people who walked into The Elgiva in search of opportunities, the employers who gave up their time and came to Chesham, my colleagues on Buckinghamshire Council and Chesham Town Council for their support, the volunteers from the community who turned out to help with tables, chairs and so much more. Jobs and apprenticeships can change people’s lives and I am so proud that we made it happen together.”

The event was attended by job seekers of all ages and backgrounds. Sophie, Connor and Caitlin commented: “It was super helpful, really good. There were lots of different careers and opportunities, lots of people to talk to.”

The trio said they would recommend the event to others: “We would definitely say come to one of these events, it opens up lots of opportunities and it’s so much easier to talk to people face to face than just sending your CV online.”

The exhibitors were also really pleased with how the day went. Dan Burton from Pinewood Studios said: “It’s been absolutely brilliant, I haven’t stopped talking to people coming in. It’s really useful to us as a big employer in the area, speaking to people and letting them know what opportunities are available.”

The fair – which coincided with National Careers Week – was organised by Buckinghamshire Council with support from Chesham Town Council and Chesham & Villages Community Board.
Additional partners for the fair include Buckinghamshire Business First, Buckinghamshire College Group, Buckinghamshire New University, the Department for Work and Pensions, Oasis Partnership, Chiltern Chamber of Commerce, Screen Skills, All Spring Media and Buckinghamshire Skills Hub.