Help for young people to connect with employers (Status: Press release)

A WEEK dedicated to putting younger people in contact with employers in Oxfordshire begins on Monday, October 26, 2010.

Connexions Oxfordshire, the information, advice and guidance service for young people in the county, will be engaging with local companies during its Employer Week to:

identify employment opportunities
to raise awareness of its services
gather local labour market information on current employment trends

The week aims to increase the number of countywide vacancies available to young people and to encourage employers to offer apprenticeships or work experiences opportunities.

The service gathers occupational trends and uses the information during its work with young people to improve their prospects of finding employment.

Connexions Oxfordshire assists employers to recruit and retain young staff through its free vacancy service and has already worked successfully with national and local employers across a variety of sectors.

Statistics show that there are more than 1,300 young people not in education or employment in Oxfordshire and more than 2,000 young people in jobs without training.

VERY SUCCESSFUL

Sean Kearns, Connexions Oxfordshire’s Delivery Director, said: “Our Employer Weeks have proved very successful in the past as they are a great opportunity for us to raise our profile with employers and increase the number of vacancies we advertise for young people.

“This benefits employers who can advertise their vacancies free of charge through our Opportunities Team and also benefits young people who can access an increased number of opportunities.”

HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?

Employers wanting to find out more can call the Connexions Opportunities Team on 01865 328460. Young people can find their nearest Connexions Centre by visiting www.connexionsoxfordshire.com.

Connexions advisers support job seekers aged 16 to 19 in schools, colleges and in Connexions Centres all over Oxfordshire by offering advice, guidance and information about finding employment.