JobsFest goes for the hat trick

Monday 21 September 2015

It's proved it works - helping 180 Islanders find work over the last few years and now JobsFest is back to a third year running.

JobsFest starts again next month helping to sort out short-term employment for more locally-qualified Islanders who’ve been hunting for work all year and are struggling at a time when there are fewer jobs around.

They’ll get to go back to work for an eight-week stint with their wages and contributions paid for by the States - good news for bosses who will save almost £2,000 while they train up their new recruits.

Last year 80 new recruits found work and almost two thirds of them were kept on at the end of the eight weeks. It’s all kicking off with a job match event on 23 September when employers can meet up with all those out looking for work.

Social Security Minister Susie Pinel said: “JobsFest is back for a third year because it works. We’ve had a lot of success over the last two years with this initiative in getting people into employment who have not worked all year, and we are encouraging employers to engage with Back to Work in the same way again this year.

“Through the Job Match employers can meet and interview jobseekers quickly and easily. As we have seen since JobsFest first launched in 2013, it has already been a huge success with over 180 jobs created in the previous two years. This is a win win situation for both the employers and the jobseekers who have participated. Through the incentive employers are given the chance to recruit at no financial cost for eight weeks, and for the jobseekers it’s a step closer towards securing sustainable employment and financial independence. I hope employers will again see this initiative as a springboard for recruiting, and continue to employ their new staff after the JobsFest support has ended.”

JobsFest runs from 5 October to 27 November and bosses wanting to take advantage of it or to book a place at the Job Match event can call 447411.