SUCCESS AT STOCKPORT COLLEGE EMPLOYABILITY FAIR

MORE than 500 students met with some of Stockport’s top business men and women at Stockport College’s employability fair which was organised by the Reed-NCFE Partnership who are based at the College.

The fair was a priceless and unique opportunity for Stockport College students to connect face-to-face with a wide variety of employers, from numerous sectors, who recruit from many, if not all, disciplines.

Local businesses such as Hughes Safety Showers, Palace Hotel, Sainsbury’s, MRL Healthcare, Army, Toni and Guy, Jacobs engineering, Borough Care and many more spent the afternoon with staff and students talking to them about the best available careers options for them.

Pictured Left are the Reed-NCFE Team: left to right – Gina Hilton, Claire Churchouse, Alex Barker and Salman Anwar

Team Leader Alex Barker said:

“Employability is about more than just getting a job – we believe in helping our students gain the necessary experience for a future career, along with the skills to identify opportunities and make the most of them. We had a good turnout from students and the employers we impressed with the students interaction. Here is some of the feedback that they gave us. The College is also dedicated to working with businesses throughout the community to ensure the courses we deliver are fit for purpose and meet the needs of today’s workplace.

“All employers who attended said they would definitely attend another event held by us in the future. I’d like to thank all tutors who attended with their students and we would also like to thank Jim Hanna and his catering staff for their support with the refreshments and food throughout the day.”

A spokesperson from the Palace Hotel, Manchester said:

“I attended an event at another college in September ’13 and this event today was much better in comparison especially in terms of interaction from the students.”

The representative from Borough Care Ltd said:

“The students were friendly and engaging.”

Hughes Safety Showers commented:

“Good day for our company and students and also a great idea for local businesses to work alongside Reed NCFE and share ideas. The event was a great opportunity for students to network with people in the field and it was great to see such a good turn-out.”

Reed-NCFE Team Leader Alex continued:

“Whilst knowledge of the relevant sector is important, employers value any type of work experience that will allow the candidate to demonstrate the required skills and competencies. Employers are looking for skills such as communication and teamwork, which can be demonstrated in a variety of contexts and any type of work experience or voluntary work can be crucial in helping a student to secure employment.

Left to right: Reed-NCFE Partnership; Gina Hilton, Claire Churchouse, Alex Barker and Salman Anwar