Businesses invited to exhibit at virtual careers fair

The event, hosted by the Marches Careers Hub, will give young people across the Marches the opportunity to engage with employers, colleges, training providers and universities from the region and discover opportunities available to them.

Companies from across the Marches are now being encouraged to register to exhibit virtually at the event, to help guide the next generation of employees into valuable training, education and careers.

Organisations that participate will have the opportunity to speak directly with students to share information on roles in the industry or sector, the skills and attributes sought after and career prospects.

The Marches Careers Hub is a network of schools and colleges covering Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin, working with partners to deliver the Gatsby Benchmarks, a framework of eight principles of good career guidance focused on improving careers outcomes for young people.

Eden Ihle-Vance, hub lead of the Marches LEP Careers Hub, said: “The virtual careers fair will allow schools, colleges and other provisions to meet five of the eight benchmarks, including Benchmark 2: learning from career and labour market information and Benchmark 5: encounters with employers and employees.

“We’re urging businesses to sign up to take part as it provides a valuable opportunity to engage with students and them to make informed decisions post-16.”

Exhibitors can choose between Live and On-Demand stand types. The former offers the opportunity to hold real-time conversations with candidates, while On-Demand stands provides a virtual presence at the event without the need to attend in a real-time capacity. This option includes enquiry forms that candidates can submit to be responded to at a later date.

Eden added: “We appreciate that Covid-19 has greatly impacted the careers support that young people have been able to access, so we hope this virtual careers fair begins to bridge the gap until in-person events are permitted.”

To secure an exhibitor place at the event, visit the registration website at https://ukcareersfair.typeform.com/to/Kbb5Rbhc