Last week, MP Leigh Ingham hosted a jobs fair at Stafford College giving locals the opportunity to find new careers, training programmes and apprenticeships.

Over 260 live vacancies were available at the Summer 2026 Journey to Work Expo on Friday (17 July) which was co-hosted by Stafford JobCentre Plus.

One of the aims of the event was to give young people the chance to find jobs in an effort to reduce the number of 16 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEETs) with the support of the government's Youth Guarantee scheme.

Full time, part time and apprenticeship roles were on offer to the more than 250 jobseekers who attended the Work Expo.

Exhibitors from a wide range of industries attended the fair meaning that there were options suited to different interests and skill sets from large firms like Amey, GE Vernova, Bostik, and Converge Technology Solutions, to vital local services including Katharine House Hospice, Staffordshire Police and University Hospitals of North Midlands Trust.

Attendees were able to watch and take part in interactive demonstrations and experiences to give them a taste of different jobs: from VR headsets to JCBs and gritting machines.

The MP is commited to helping people in Stafford find employment (image via Leigh Ingham MP)

Leigh Ingham MP for Stafford, Eccleshall, and the villages said, "I'm really passionate about bringing more jobs to the area and have been working closely with local employers and education providers to help make that happen.

"There's real opportunity here in Stafford right now: GE Vernova is creating 400 new skilled jobs, Stafford College has just been named one of only four Advanced Manufacturing Technical Excellence Colleges in the country, and the Government is investing heavily into programmes and courses to help get young people into work.

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"And that's just a few examples!

"One attendee was offered a job today by just chatting to one of the employers!

"It shows that an event like this can change someone's life and I am so proud to be a part of that."

Stu Aitken, Employer Advisor at Stafford JobCentre Plus, said: "After the success of last year's Jobs Fair, the vision was to bring something even bigger and better to Stafford – a large-scale expo event with interactive exhibits to give a truly inspiring experience to jobseekers from across the area.

"It's been great to work with Leigh and her team – together, we've brought in some major voices from across the employment sector as well as a huge number of job seekers and the event was a resounding success.

"With over 260 jobs on offer, and live interviews on the day, I know this event will have changed people's lives."