A NEW recruitment service has been launched by Basingstoke College of Technology.

The scheme is called BCoT Recruits and offers local businesses the opportunity to engage with students, who are looking for full-time work, or apprenticeships, along with part-time and seasonal work.

BCoT Recruits is a free service that matches students to the needs of potential employers.

Judith Moule, account manager of apprenticeships at BCoT, said: “In this new venture, we hope to be of service to our local community.

“The college really appreciates the support of the many employers we already work with and we are keen to work with more, so we hope this will become a useful way for businesses to engage with us and with our students.

“At BCoT, we pride ourselves on the excellent industry links that our tutors have and our industry-standard facilities.

“It seems like a logical progression to take active steps in helping our students to gain industry experience as well, whether that be a work placement or a full-time job for them to progress to when they finish their course.”

Communication, team work and other workplace essential skills are integral to all courses at BCoT so Judith is confident that any one of the students would be an asset to an employer.

Judith added: “As well as these vital transferable skills, we have students with a broad range of industry skills.”

Calling on the college’s wide curriculum, BCoT Recruits can draw on students with qualifications in anything from animal management to photography.

The launch coincided with BCoT’s Construction Open Day for Employers, where Malcolm Monckton, who is head of workshop at Lord Wandsworth Col-lege, and his colleague maintenance supervisor Steve White met people like Carpentry and Joinery Level 1 student Tom Armstrong. The 18-year-old, from Overton, wants an apprenticeship.