OxLEP's Careers Fest 2023 sees secondary school students from across Oxfordshire meet dozens of businesses at a major exhibition.
Over 3,000 young people are set to converge on the Kassam Stadium in Oxford for a major two-day event – led by the county’s Local Enterprise Partnership – bringing businesses and teenagers together to inspire future career decisions.
Organised by OxLEP Skills, Careers Fest returns for 2023 and is set to connect young people with some of Oxfordshire’s best employers, ready to highlight significant career pathways available in the county.
Young people attending the event are doing so due to the partnerships in-place via OxLEP with 25 Oxfordshire schools and colleges, including; secondary schools, further education colleges and special schools.
This year’s Careers Fest takes place at the Kassam Stadium throughout 22 and 23 March. The event is also set to include a ‘twilight session’ for parents and carers – alongside their children – on 22 March, taking place between 3.30pm and 6.30pm.
Dozens of parents have already signed-up to attend the twilight session, with OxLEP encouraging even more families to attend, just weeks ahead of GCSE and A-Level exams taking place in the county.
A total of 76 businesses, universities and training providers will be exhibiting, with Careers Fest participants getting the rare opportunity of not only speaking to leading figures from top-class businesses, but also – in many cases – getting the chance of being ‘up close and personal’ with the products, projects and services companies are developing and delivering on a daily basis.
This year’s Careers Fest is being headline-sponsored by A-Plan Insurance and the Science Technology Facilities Council (STFC), with a further 16 businesses financially-supporting the event, directly helping to ensure transport is provided for participating schools to-and-from the Kassam Stadium.
Careers Fest is also supported by the Careers & Enterprise Company who have worked in partnership with OxLEP Skills for several years.
Nigel Tipple – Chief Executive of OxLEP – said: “Careers Fest has successfully brought together teenagers and businesses for several years and undoubtedly has in the past, led to many young people making positive decisions about their future career pathways and the types of industries that they wish to pursue.
“It’s important to remember that in Oxfordshire, we benefit from being home to a range of world-leading businesses and sectors, whether it be science and innovation-led companies or perhaps a tourism industry that can rival any international location.
“With this in mind, we look forward to again playing a really important role linking young people with top employers, helping to inspire future career choices, as well as – in-turn – supporting the retention of talent here in Oxfordshire.”
As well as long-term career opportunities, many businesses attending Careers Fest will also showcase their respective training schemes, including apprenticeship opportunities.
With 3,730 apprenticeship starts being secured in Oxfordshire during 2021-22, OxLEP Skills also hope to inspire even more businesses in the county to create apprenticeship openings within their companies.
Just last month, OxLEP Skills announced that its annual Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards had received its highest number of nominations since it was launched.
This year’s awards are set to take place at the Williams F1 Conference Centre on 18 May.
Nigel Tipple added: “Through events like Careers Fest and the Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards, we hope that we can help to show businesses the value of apprenticeships, as well as demonstrating that there has never been a better time to engage with them, given the support and advice available to companies through organisations like OxLEP.
“It’s just one part of our overall programme of activity that aims to see Oxfordshire leading the way in apprenticeship provision.
“Our wider work really complements this and can help to give businesses the guidance and boost they need to create or develop an apprenticeship scheme.”
Find out more on Careers Fest and book on the 22 March twilight session
