28 February 2020 – ESL Briefing
28 FebruaryDear Colleagues
Another rainy day in Bristol and the 17 year old Greta Thunberg will be getting ready to stand up in front of City Hall is make a speech that puts science and the voice of young people at the centre of the conversation about our climate emergency. I do wish her and the other protesters well as they set off on their march through the city centre. These strike actions certainly help to keep the world’s attention on the global heating crisis – for all of us and for future generations.
Turning attention to another key event in South Bristol, I was delighted to hear that 800 visitors attended the Jobs and Apprenticeship Fair at the South Bristol Skills Academy where they were able to meet with over 60 employers and Ways2Work providers. This was the 7th annual Jobs Fair in this location and was another great partnership event between the City Council’s Employment Support Team, City of Bristol College, DWP, National Careers Service and Karin Smyth MP.
It was great to see a good mix of employers – including HMRC, Jeffway Electrical, Barratt Homes, United Living; The Coop, Lidl and Tesco Distribution Centre teams; Network Rail, Babcock International and the Bristol Port Company seeking apprentices for the engineering sector; a group of five from Bristol Airport; BRI and many more. This event was also another great opportunity for positive cross ESL team working – in addition to Ways2Work and Future Bright, the On Site and the Proud to Care teams with their I-Care Ambassadors had a full day talking to people about real-life-working in their sectors. National Careers Service teams were offering careers advice and the College team were on hand to help anyone wanting to apply on the spot.
Karin Smyth MP spent the day talking to employers and visitors and the Lord Mayor spent over an hour meeting just some of the employers who make our jobs fairs so great. Many of the employers wanted selfies with our VIP guests so these will have gone out far and wide on Twitter.
This Jobs Fair is evolving really well as all the partners continue to grow into their roles and all pull together to give a fantastic platform for the people of South Bristol and beyond. There was a real buzz in the air and there were many happy customers – including job seekers, employers and providers alike!
Best wishes
Jane Taylor, Head of Employment, Skills and Learning
