A one-stop Job Shop has been created by Norton Radstock College aimed at both employers and potential employees.

The college has partnered with Simple Recruitment (South West) Ltd for the initiative, thought to be one of the first in the region between a vocational college and an agency.

It aims to give job-seekers help in finding employment and employers information about opportunities to develop their workforce.

Based in the heart of Radstock, the Job Shop, which will also give information on college courses and work-based training, will cover Bath and North East Somerset, the Mendips and parts of West Wiltshire.

Terrie Norris, Coordinator of Apprenticeships and Work-Based Learning, said: "We provide a wide range of support for local employers, from help deciding where to invest in training, to guidance through funding, employing young people and recruitment.

"A lot of young people come in with their parents and we can give them information on employment opportunities, such as an apprenticeship or to develop their career through a college course.

"We also provide courses for the long-term unemployed and help with skills to get them back in the workplace, such as searching for jobs and writing CVs.

"We have set up a partnership with Simple Recruitment to help unemployed people find work. I am passionate about it, because it is a great resource for local people."

Jayla Wilcox, Director of Simple Recruitment, said: "We are keen to help make the Job Shop as successful as it can be. We are often approached by young people looking for work and sometimes an apprenticeship or some further training is a more suitable option to get them ready for the workplace."

The Job Shop will be holding two recruitment events a month, one on a Saturday morning and a Thursday evening, with the next on Thursday, 7th November, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The centre also provides a register of apprenticeship vacancies for job-seekers and has unpaid internship and work-placement opportunities for current students.

As part of its Business Growth Service, the college is also inviting engineering businesses to see the state of-the-art new building at its main campus and to set up a forum, so lecturers can find out more about what the industry wants in terms of training and potential

employees. The session will take place on Wednesday, 30th October, 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

To contact the Job Shop, call: 01761 420786 or to book a place at the Engineering Business Forum, call Faye Mercer, Business Link Adviser, on: 01761 420786.