THE first job fair in Oxfordshire to be aimed solely at helping 16 to 18-year-olds find employment is being held in Oxford this week.

Organisers say jobs are waiting to be filled in a range of professions including hospitality and catering, accounting, administration, construction, engineering, horticulture, and hairdressing.

Employers and the organisations who provide the training will be at the event advertising real job vacancies.

The training organisations can also help a young person find a job in a particular career if that field is not represented among the vacancies available on the day.

Careers adviser Les Hall said: "The arrival of exam results, whether better or worse than expected, can require young people to rethink plans.

"A young person may not have considered getting a job before now, so this is an ideal opportunity for them to talk to employers."

The Job Jaunt, being organised by the Heart of England TEC and CfBT Thames Careers Guidance, at the Oxford Playhouse from 11am to 3pm on Wednesday has an added attraction over usual recruitment fairs - all the jobs advertised offer young people the opportunity to train towards a nationally recognised qualification while they are working, through Training Credits funded by the TEC.

Alan Hester, head of youth training at the Heart of England TEC, said "Every young person in Oxfordshire between the ages of 16 and 18 is entitled to receive training in a job."

Don't miss the Oxford Mail jobs fair at Oxford Town Hall on September 10.

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