1,600 young people meet array of recruiters at careers fair

Around 1,600 young people beat a path to the Surrey Opportunities Fair

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Around 1,600 people descended on Surrey’s biggest jobs, apprenticeships and skills fair organised by the county council to showcase employment, training and college opportunities. They flocked to the Surrey Opportunities Fair to meet an array of recruiters across sectors including retail, construction and social care as part of the authority’s drive to tackle the number of young people classed as NEET.

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Surrey County Council leader David Hodge said: “The fair was a fantastic way to connect young people with future employers. It was a huge success for the county council, the organisations involved and, most importantly, the young people who are deciding on their career path.

“Although the number of NEETs in Surrey is low compared to the national average, a key part of our work is boosting young people’s job prospects and I really hope some of those who attended are helped into work through our drive to create 500 apprenticeships by next April.”

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The fair was aimed at school-leavers, unemployed young people and those seeking new opportunities.

It featured around 100 employers, training organisations and colleges and offered those attending the opportunity to brush up their CVs and speak to careers advisers.

Among the employers attending were O2, Freedom Leisure, CTC Aviation and Mole Valley Housing Association. They were joined by seven colleges and more than 20 training organisations.

The county council aims to help businesses to hire 500 apprentices in a year by offering a cash incentive following the success of a similar initiative that saw 265 places filled.

Surrey has one of the lowest number of young people considered NEET – not in education, employment or training – in the country, with around four in a hundred being classed as such. The national average is about six in a hundred.