Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s incredibly successful Jobs Fair has broken attendance records for the third year in a row.
Over 2,100 people attended the RCT Jobs Fair at the new 3 Llys Cadwyn in the heart of Pontypridd, and with over 40 employers present, all with job opportunities, apprentice schemes, and graduate programmes, it was a huge hit with those that visited.
3 Llys Cadwyn – the Council’s flagship development in Pontypridd, forms part of the regeneration of the old Taff Vale Precinct. The development will include the Transport for Wales HQ, Grade A office floorspace, and a food/drink unit, with 3 Llys Cadwyn housing a 21st Century library, Council contact point, and a state-of-the-art leisure and fitness centre.
Feedback from those who attended was overwhelmingly positive, with 96% of people rating the helpfulness of staff as excellent/good, and 97% of people saying they would attend a similar event in the future.
For the first time, the RCT Jobs Fair featured a ‘Quiet Hour’ between 9-10am. The ‘Quiet Hour’ was catered towards individuals who struggle with music and noise, such as people on the autism spectrum, and attracted a large number of individuals who may otherwise have not attended and missed out on employment and training opportunities.
Also at the event, staff were selling refreshments and cakes to raise money toward the RCT Flood Fund, raising nearly £400 from generous visitors.
This year, the RCT Jobs Fair was in partnership with the Council’s ‘Meet the Buyer’ event, which is aimed a local companies to give them the opportunity to network with other businesses and organisations.
‘Meet the Buyer’ is aimed primarily at Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), to help them find out how they can become part of a larger supply chain, either through providing their goods and/or services or becoming sub-contractors to other companies. Attended by some of the region’s largest organisations and the big spenders in both the public and private sectors, it offered an invaluable opportunity to SMEs to make contacts and enquire about contracts.
Councillor Maureen Webber, Deputy Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council said: “Once again the RCT Jobs Fair was a huge success!
“Year on year the RCT Jobs Fair is growing in visitor numbers and employers on offer, bringing together high-quality employers looking for new staff, all in one place. This is clearly valued by residents, bringing opportunities closer to them.
“I’m proud that this year, for the first time, the RCT Jobs Fair featured a ‘Quiet Hour’ for individuals who struggle with music and noise, which was really well received. It is this commitment to inclusion and equality that is at the heart of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, and highlights how we are listening to residents.
“The Council is committed to attracting high-quality jobs to the local area and helping our residents into sustainable, reliable and well-paid employment, and the RCT Jobs Fair is one way in which we are working to accomplish this. By bringing employers into the local communities, residents have the chance to interact with businesses, discover vocations they may not have considered, and potentially walk away with an interview in the bag!
“Every event, we rotate between the Rhondda, Cynon, and Taff-Ely areas of the County Borough, to ensure that residents within Rhondda Cynon Taf have equal opportunities to attend, with the next event taking place in Cynon in the autumn.
“What was also pleasing to see was how many people took the opportunity to visit Pontypridd Town Centre at the same time as visiting the RCT Jobs Fair. The community spirit across Rhondda Cynon Taf has been incredible since the devastating flooding that affected our communities, and it was noticeable that people came out to support the town centre and the community after such a tragedy.”
