OLDHAM Council's Get Oldham Working (GOW) team is celebrating a huge success in providing over 8,000 work-related opportunities in five years.

The local authority reported generating a total of 8,330 jobs, apprenticeships, traineeships and work experience placements since 2013.

Their original aim was to support people with access to employment opportunities within the borough, including jobs, apprenticeships, traineeships and work experience but now offer much now.

GOW now offers a Career Advancement Service - a programme aimed at helping those already in employment gain more skills, better pay and more secured meaningful work and Skills for Employment, providing one-to-one support with a personal learning mentor, local training provision, a structured work placement to enhance job prospects and access to GOW job opportunities and application support.

The service also offers an Oldham Council Traineeship to enhance skills and abilities as a refresher or a complete career change via paid on-the-job training and a free recruitment service which works with local businesses to help with their recruitment and pre-employment training to help find the best local talent.

Ageing Well Oldham supports anyone over 50 who is seeking career advice, information on enterprise development and health and wellbeing guidance.

The also stage jobs boards, fairs and clubs throughout the year.

Councillor Shaid Mushtaq, Cabinet Member for Employment and Skills, said: "Over the last five years Get Oldham Working has worked extremely hard to offer residents vital support to help them gain employment, plus access to training and information on how they can best enhance their careers.

"Over the years we've done our bit by helping residents access new jobs and career opportunities, a prime example being our most recent jobs fair at the Queen Elizabeth Hall which more than 2,500 people attended.

"We want businesses to continue working with us to provide apprenticeships, training opportunities, work placements and jobs for our residents because if we all work together we can help to boost our local economy."

GOW is more accessible to residents than ever before with opportunities to contact the team via social media (Facebook: @GetOldhamWorking / Twitter: @EmployOldham), as well as face-to-face appointments.

The team is located on the first floor of Metropolitan Place, Hobson Street, Oldham, OL1 1TT - across the road from the Job Centre Plus - and operate an 'open door' policy.

This means residents of working age can go along - without an appointment - and speak to a careers advisor, weekdays 9am until 4pm.

You can also reach the team by email employability@oldham.gov.uk or by telephone on 0161 770 4674.

For more go to www.oldham.gov.uk/gow.