WITH dozens of companies preparing to open in the new Westgate Centre, there was an added sense of excitement at this year’s job fair.

Hundreds of job-seekers attended the fourth annual fair in Oxford Town Hall yesterday, sponsored by the Oxford Mail’s sister paper the Oxford Times.

Some of the new brands opening in the Westgate next month were in attendance looking for new members of staff to fill key roles.

Raymond Quinche, the Operations Manager for both Comptoir Libanais, a Lebanese restaurant and Shawa, a gourmet kebab takeaway, said they were now 'aggressively recruiting' before both open at the £440m shopping centre next month.

Mr Quinche said: “I need a lot of people on all levels from kitchen porters to head chefs and managers.

“We are now aggressively recruiting. It’s been tough. I don’t feel that there is a lot of unemployment in Oxford.

“We have had to cast our net further than normal and look outside the city for staff. We are getting some good candidates but we need a lot more.

“We are open to anybody - you don’t necessarily need experience. It’s more about getting the right people on board.”

Mr Quinche said he was still confident he will have all staff in place for the grand opening on October, 24.

The Japanese clothing store Uniqlo was another of the new Westgate employers present at the fair.

Laura Rudloff, the shop’s area manager, said: “We have been wanting to expand outside of London for a long time.

“Westgate is a great opportunity for us – it is going to be amazing.

“We’re looking for 40 members of staff for the new store, mostly full time employees. We’ve had some interest already and will be interviewing all next week."

The most recent estimate of Oxford's unemployment rate is 3.6 per cent for the period to July 2017, below the national average of 4.5 per cent.

Representatives of a long-standing employer in the region, the Southern Counties Co-Operative who operate supermarkets, care homes, funeral parlours and nurseries, said the company always struggles to recruit in the city.

Kelly Shorthouse, the company’s resourcing manager, said “Of all the places we work, Oxford often proves to be the trickiest.

"I think London is a big draw for younger people and offers higher wages.

“Coming to the fair is great because it helps us spot the gems that do come through.”

Amongst those meeting employers was Jessica Faye-Gregg with her mother Deborah.

The 23 year old from Witney was now looking to start a career having been a long-term carer for her mum and suffering from mental health problems as a teenager.

She said: “I feel ready and optimistic about the future."