11th May 2015
Over 20 employers, among them former students of the College, came to talent spot at Barking & Dagenham College recently as part of the annual Care, Health and Early Learning Employment Fair.
The Fair was an opportunity for over 100 students, who are all studying on either child care or health care courses, to mingle with employers, hear about job opportunities and secure interviews.
"Talented students"Kerry Benham, Deputy Manager at Headstart Montessorians Nursery, is a former childcare student at the College who was talent spotted by her boss, Managing Director Sabrina Lakhan, at the same event six years ago. This year she was back to help look for more new recruits. Kerry, who has just been promoted to her new role at the Goodmayes branch of the Nursery, explained:
“This is a great opportunity for us to look for talented students to invite to come to an interview and a day’s trial with us.”
"By far the best organised event of its kind"
John Novo, Operations Director at Bretsa Ltd (above left with Barking & Dagenham College Director Ann McDaniel (centre) and Bretsa's East London Consultant, Mo Koroma), another employer who joined the College for the event added:
“We are looking for candidates for private day nurseries and schools. This is by far the best organised event of its kind and as a result we usually identify many students each year who we think have real potential.”
Other employers included care companies such as Riverside Cares (Gaby Morris, MD of Riverside Cares is pictured below), which was keen to use the event to hear from students about what jobs they were looking for so that it could match them with domiciliary care for the elderly as well as childcare roles they had available.
Students' employment prospects
Barking & Dagenham College’s Early Years department has been praised by Ofsted as “outstanding” and holding an annual Employment Fair like this is just one way that the College aims to help its students into employment. As Ann McDaniel, Deputy Director at the College, who leads the event said:
“At Barking & Dagenham College we really care about our students’ employment prospects.
"As this event has shown, the College’s links with employers are fantastic, and the Fair really helps the students reach their goals of working within the child and health care sectors.”
This annual event was held on Wednesday 29 April 2015.
