Following the immense success of Skills London 2008, held in the October. Prospects Events – part of the Prospects Group, has again secured the contract to deliver the biggest careers event in the UK on behalf of London First. Skills London 2010 is scheduled for the first week in October, 2010 (7^th – 9^th) and is expected to attract over 50,000 visitors and 175 exhibitors.

 

2010 will be a very exciting and busy year for the Prospects Events team, as they have also won the £1m-plus contract from the Welsh Assembly Government to stage skillsCymru. The new, national, interactive careers and skills event will be the largest of its kind in Wales. skillsCymru will be held at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff in September, 2010 (16^th - 18^th) with over 100 exhibitors and more than 20,000 people expected to visit over the three days.

 

Prospects Events Director, Andrew Coates, said "As the leading organisers of careers and skills events across the UK, Prospects Events are delighted to have won these two prestigious contracts. These events will complement our other shows across the UK and offer inspiration to thousands of young people towards their future career decisions."

 

The two exciting events will enable young people and adults from Wales, London and the South East to try their hand at a wide range of jobs and training opportunities. Employers, colleges, universities, training bodies and advice organisations will also have the opportunity to engage with and recruit the next generation of students, as well as meet adults wishing to re-skill.

 

These interactive events are aimed at young people aged 14-19, each event will seek to inspire, inform and educate young people and their parents, carers and teachers, about the options available to them. The events are highly innovative and exhibitors run hands-on demonstrations and activities in a fun and vibrant atmosphere.

 

The contract wins will boost Prospects Events portfolio, taking the number of major annual exhibitions organised by the company to over twenty. Already successfully managing, a string of events which include the annual ‘Summer Graduate Recruitment Fair’ at London’s Earl’s Court, and the ‘Autumn Graduate Recruitment Fair’ at Old Billingsgate, which places recent graduates in contact with prospective employers. Prospects also hosts adult skills events across London, jobs and careers fairs, and regional skills events throughout the year in the West Midlands, North East, North West, Yorkshire & Humber and more recently a new national event - Skills Scotland,

 

Prospects is one of the United Kingdom's leading providers of education, training and guidance services. With nearly 1,200 staff in over 60 locations around the country, we provide a wide range of services to government departments, the Learning and Skills Council, local authorities, schools and colleges, employers and others.

 

Our personal advisers provide information, advice and guidance to thousands of young people aged 14 to 19 (up to the age of 25 for those with learning difficulties or disabilities). Currently we are working in over 20 local authority areas, from designated centres and in schools and colleges.

 

In support of young people, Prospects has developed a highly successful range of careers publications, software and web-based guidance tools. In addition, our education consultancy and school improvement services include the Leading Parent Partnership Award, which is recognised by the DCSF.

 

Adult Services and nextstep: Prospects offers advice, information and guidance services for adults to help them into work and training, working with Job Centre Plus, the Learning & Skills Council, employers and other agencies.

 

Prospects holds the prime contract to manage and deliver the Careers Information and Advice Service – branded as nextstep – across Greater London. Prospects has advisers in every Jobcentre Plus in London and also runs the ‘Response to Redundancy’ programme across South London. Prospects runs careers information, advice and guidance for offenders in all the prisons in the capital, working through the Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS).

 

In addition Prospects is part of the board of Careers Yorkshire and the Humber, which operates the nextstep contract in that region. We also work in partnership offering nextstep services in the West Midlands and Hereford & Worcester.

 

On behalf of the Department of Work and Pensions, Jobcentre Plus and the European Social Fund, the group also delivers adult careers services in the South West of England, Sheffield and Birmingham.