THE Salvation Army is hosting two drop-in events on Wednesday (June 24) where jobseekers can talk to employability experts.

The Employability Celebration Day is being held at The Salvation in St Austell (19 Ranelagh Road, Mount Charles) from 10am to 12 noon, and at The Salvation in Penzance on Queen Street from 11am and 1pm.

Attendees will be able to look at live job vacancies, ask for CV help, and seek employment advice and training and volunteering information. Several exhibitors will be in attendance, including Connect to Work and National Energy Action. Visitors will also be signposted to other agencies such as foodbanks or CAP UK for debt advice.

The Salvation Army’s Employment Plus service supports people into quality work, helping them overcome hurdles including caring responsibilities, health problems, disability, homelessness or simply a lack of up to-to date skills.

Local business leaders, agencies and politicians are also invited to drop in for a chat.

Salvation Army Penzance employability practitioner Cara Upham said: “Many people who are desperate to work but have the greatest barriers to finding and keeping a job.

“Our Employment Plus service aims to transform people’s lives, offering specialist, person-centred support that has a meaningful and lasting impact on our clients, giving them the confidence and skills to get on in life.”

Salvation Army analysis of Annual Population Survey (APS) statistics found that in the St Austell and Newquay Travel to Work Area, around 9,500 people are in real unemployment – a combination of those who are officially unemployed and people who are economically inactive but say they want a job. That’s 13.4 per cent of 16 to 64-year-olds, compared with 8.2 per cent across the South West. Penzance has a real unemployment rate of 6.9 per cent, equal to around 2,100 people.