OREANDA-NEWS. Heathrow saw 5,800 young people attend this year's Jobs & Careers fair, the largest number of attendees since the fair was launched seven years ago.

16-24 year olds heard from 47 companies who explained what career opportunities were on offer. Parents and teachers also came to the fair and were helped to gain an understanding of what prospective employers expected in candidates.

Paula Stannett, Director of Human Resources at Heathrow said, 'It was fantastic seeing so many young people at Heathrow's Jobs & Careers fair this year. Heathrow is not just a job opportunity but a career path, with hundreds of companies operating at the airport. We are committed to employing people from the local boroughs and the careers fair is a great demonstration of this. Generations of families work and build their lives around Heathrow, a legacy we intend to continue.'

As one of the largest single-site employers in the country, with 76,500 people directly employed on the Heathrow site, the airport offers a wide range of jobs, training and career opportunities. A total of 114,000 jobs are supported in the local area by the operation of Heathrow Airport - representing 1 in 5 jobs (22%) in the local area.

Heathrow has a unique role to play in boosting jobs, skills and supporting economic growth in its local communities and across the UK. The business community surrounding the airport includes firms involved in construction, engineering, retail, logistics, communication, planning, security and technology. 2014 is the seventh consecutive year that the jobs and careers fair has run, providing local young people with CV advice, help with interviews and career guidance.