Lewisham College hosted a Youth Hub Kickstart Job Fair in collaboration with Lewisham Council and the Department of Work and Pensions to help young people in Lewisham connect with local employers learn more about the Kickstart scheme.

Organisations such as The Albany, The Colombo Group and Hyde Housing, amongst others, were on hand to speak to attendees about their Kickstart vacancies and to conduct interviews to offer job roles on the spot.

Asfa Sohail, Principal at Lewisham College, said: "We're proud to be working with Lewisham Council and the Department of Work and Pensions to connect young people in our community with local employers and help them access work opportunities to help them Kickstart their careers and achieve their goals.

"We look forward to the future of this partnership and to the excellent opportunities it will bring to our learners and the economic recovery of the borough."

Charlotte Rowley, Principal Officer for Jobs and Skills at Lewisham Council, said: "Events like these are critical in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic to showcase the opportunities available and to help young people access employment and training opportunities in the local area."

At this event, 16 people received Kickstart job offers from organisations attending the event, including Oyinkonsda Ogun, the new Kickstart Digital Marketing Assistant at FT 2020 Ltd. He said: "I've enjoyed this event as it has given me the chance to connect with employers and find employment opportunities.

"I'm very pleased to have been offered a Kickstart role with FT 2020 at the Youth Hub Job Fair event at Lewisham College, and I'm very excited to start my new role."

The Kickstart Scheme is part of the government's 'Plan for Jobs' and aims to create new, fully funded jobs across England, Scotland and Wales.

To find out more about how you can access the Kickstart scheme or other support available to employers at Lewisham College, visit lewisham.ac.uk/employers