I’ve just left school/college/uni – how do I go about finding a job?

Job seeking – employment and apprenticeships
Job Centre Plus is the national network of agencies that can help you access benefits and help you find a job. You can search through job vacancies online or by visiting the JobCentre Plus office in St Helens (on Central Street, WA10 1UF).

Starting Point is a free information, advice and guidance service for the people of St Helens on jobs, education and training. They offer support provided by Personal Advisers and through the National Careers Service, ‘Work Clubs’, short courses, job listings and plenty of useful information and advice. Starting Point also offer a number of opportunities specifically for people aged 16 to 19.

You can also speak to a Connexions Adviser (0800 100 900) or visit them at their centre at The Beacon on College Street to find more help and assistance in finding a job.

Alternatively, you could also try searching for job vacancies via local and national employment agencies, newspapers, Council and NHS websites – Starting Point have a useful list of suggestions.

Information and vacancies for apprenticeships can be found here.

Volunteering
Volunteering your time is a great way to give back to the local community, meet new people and importantly learn new skills and responsibilities that can help boost your CV and increase your chances of gaining paid employment.

To find out about volunteering opportunities in St Helens you can visit the Volunteer Centre (based at Tontine House on Church Street) or have a look at the national database of volunteering opportunities on Do-It.

Entrepreneurs – start your own business
St Helens Chamber hold regular meetings for young people (under 19) who are keen to test out their entrepreneurial skills, meet with others and share/build ideas for businesses or gain help if they are in the early stages of running a business. They also have a ‘Young Entrepreneurs’ Bank’ to help those who would not otherwise have access to finance to develop/research their business idea.

If you are interested in becoming involved in the Young Entrepreneur’s Chamber, please contact Mike Morgan (01744 742 045 or email [email protected]) for more information.