Top employers to showcase hundreds of jobs at Stoke-on-Trent’s first Aspiration Summit

Major employers from across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire will be showcasing hundreds of job opportunities at a free careers event this week.

Organisations including dairy firm Ornua, insurance company Atlanta Group and construction giant Balfour Beatty are taking part in Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s first Aspiration Summit at the Kings Hall in Stoke on Friday, October 7 which aims to promote skills, careers and employment in the city.

Representatives from Genr8, VX Fiber, the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care System, the Home Office and Staffordshire Fire and Police will host workshops to reveal what it’s like working in the construction, digital and healthcare sectors as well as the emergency services.

A careers and jobs marketplace will then run from 1.30pm to 6pm giving job-seekers – and more than 500 young people – the chance to meet potential employers and learn more about the current vacancies they have available.

This includes hundreds of vacancies at the Home Office which has committed to creating around 500 jobs in Stoke-on-Trent.

Regeneration Brainery will also be at the summit to get young people fired up about a career in property and regeneration. The not-for-profit programme was set up by Capital&Centric which is leading the £60 million Goods Yard development.

Councillor Dave Evans, cabinet member for children and young people, said: “Our Aspiration Summit will be a really good opportunity for job-seekers to talk to more than 45 different businesses about some of the fantastic opportunities we’ve got here in Stoke-on-Trent.

“There’s also going to be seminars from the Home Office and leading organisations in the construction, digital and care sectors for people to learn all about what it’s like working in those industries.

“The event is free too, so if you are looking for employment, want to return to work or simply fancy a new challenge, come down to the Kings Hall on Friday and kickstart your new career.”

The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is one of the sponsors of the event.

LEP chair Alun Rogers said: “We are incredibly proud to be supporting and helping to bring this exciting careers event to life, which will provide the perfect platform for businesses and job-seekers to engage.

“Making full use of the skills and capabilities of our young people by supporting them into the right jobs will be key in achieving our ambition to make Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire the best place in the UK to live, work, invest and do business.

“So, whether you are a student, graduate or experienced professional looking for a new challenge, I’d encourage you to get involved and explore the opportunities available.”

The Aspiration Summit will follow the launch of the city council’s Young People’s Learning and Skills Strategy 2022-2027 which aims to help 14-25-year-olds develop their education and skills and enable them to reach their full potential in their future careers.

For more details about the Aspiration Summit, or to book on to a session, visit www.stoke.gov/aspirationsummit