For those who were looking to explore exciting career paths or boost their skills, the Cornwall Council Skills and Careers Fair which took place at the beginning of March as part of the first ever ‘Cornwall Month of Skills’ was the perfect spot to chat with experts, find out about local opportunities, and get inspired.

Whether you were just starting out, thinking about a change, or looking for a new exciting opportunity, residents in Cornwall were invited to come along and take the next step toward their dream job, apprenticeship, or training course!

One local Cornwall resident who attended the Skills and Careers Fair was 25-year-old Lauren from Perranporth, who heard about the event on social media and decided that she wanted to find out more!

Lauren has a bachelor’s degree, but has only worked part-time jobs previously, having attended university a few years ago she had struggled to find a proper career having returned to Cornwall.

After hearing about the event, Lauren thought that she would make the first step towards finding a career path that she would enjoy and apply for some jobs that she discovered at the event. She met dozens of employers at the event and got the opportunity to find out more about what is out there.

One employer that Lauren met was Green Light PBS Ltd – a company that was founded to provide specialist accommodation and support for adults with learning disabilities and autism.

After a discussion with Kerry from Green Light, Lauren decided to apply for a role with them, and was fortunate to be offered a role – being completely new to care and support work, it was quite daunting at first for Lauren, but she has found that her colleagues have been so supportive that it really helped her to settle in – and the training was so excellent and comprehensive, that it was really helpful to learn more about the theory behind the support role.

We caught up with Lauren after she settled into the role, and she told us that:

“It really helped me to have the opportunity to meet up with employers and training providers in a more relaxed environment, to have the chance to properly talk about the details of a role with someone knowledgeable before applying.”

“Prior to the event, I had no idea that Green Light even existed, so meeting Kerry and Sophie, and getting the chance to ask about the company itself, along with details about how the role works in practice was really helpful for me.”

“Having settled into the role properly now, I can honestly say that I am really glad that I attended the event and discovered Green Light. I’m so excited to properly start my career, and it’s all thanks to Cornwall Council for putting on the event!”