The One Step Foundation Somerset Skills & Careers Fair returned for the fifth anniversary year on Wednesday 11th October at The J24 Venue (Sedgemoor Auction Centre), North Petherton.
Our thanks go to the c.3,000 students and job seekers from across the county who benefited from attending on the day, along with 80 exhibitors, enjoying the largest, most interactive Careers Fair in the South West.
“This year seemed to be busier and the exhibitors seemed to be more involved with the students. We always enjoy the event but this year the students seemed to get a lot more out of it. Congratulations on a fantastic event.” Heathfield Community School.
The highly successful jobseeker session returned for the afternoon and visitors were greeted with a wall of live vacancies from exhibitors at the fair including One Step Recruitment; indeed a number of posts were filled on the day.
There was an extensive range of exhibitors for visitors to meet, including further/higher education providers, gap year specialists, the armed/emergency forces and training companies, with a wide variety of industries represented including Hinkley Point C project, accounting, property, construction, manufacturing, care and health & beauty among others. The weather was kind to the visitors who enjoyed the outdoor exhibits such as the climbing wall provided by The British Army and The SPIN BUS.
Choices for Life featured for the first time this year; organised by Somerset County Council and designed by young people. This exhibit is designed for vulnerable young people and their carers to access the information, advice and guidance required by vulnerable to make the best choices in their education and future lives. It was important to add another dimension to the Careers Fair for the fifth anniversary, making it even more inclusive for the workforce of tomorrow.
We were joined on the day by Councillor Rodrigues, Deputy Mayor for Bridgwater and Somerset County Cricket Captain, Tom Abell, both of whom were impressed by the scale of the event and the range of exhibitors. The popular and lively flash mobs provided by the talented students from The SPACE (The Somerset Performing Arts Centre for Education) also featured throughout the morning and there was music in the main hall courtesy of mobile DJ Larry Dart who compered all day free of charge. Lastly, Nick Rickards from community radio Sedgemoor FM interviewed exhibitors and visitors to the show, with broadcasts to go out over the next fortnight.
All visitors had a show directory to take away for the first time this year, which we’re hoping will be a key source of reference for follow-ups now the event is over. This is being circulated around all Somerset schools and a PDF of the 2017 Directory is also available to download on the website: www.onestepfoundation.co.uk/careers-fair
We’d like to thank the exhibitors and visitors for making The One Step Foundation Somerset Skills & Careers Fair the success it was, for our fifth anniversary show. Ideas are already in full flow for 2018!
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