The Oxford Mail Job Fair 2001 has been hailed a huge success - helping to match the right employee with the right job.

There were 48 stands at Oxford Town Hall yesterday (Thursday), staffed by people from recruitment agencies, retail chains, hotels, Her Majesty's forces and other representatives of Oxford's business community - ready to advise job seekers on the right move for them.

Clowning around: Nigel The Clown with Fiona Saunders and Cathryn Bowden at the Paterson Recruitment stand Gay Hubbard, the Oxford Mail's telephone sales manager, said: "It went extremely well. All the stands said they got a fantastic response - equal to the last job fair that took place six months ago." She said organisations occupying the stands had commented on the high standard of people talking to them about seeking employment.

This was the 16th Oxford Mail Job Fair, and the event was sponsored by Champion Recruitment.

Shamus Donald, managing director of Newsquest (Oxfordshire) Ltd, said: "The Oxford Mail Job Fair is great way for people and businesses to get together and explore career opportunities. We are delighted to be able to facilitate this."

Organisations and businesses at the job fair were: Warman Davies Recruitment Consultants; Manpower Plc; Nominet UK; Catchword Limited; Andrews Estate Agents; Newsquest (Oxfordshire) Ltd; Hays Accountancy Personnel/ Hays Recruitment; Allders of Oxford; RM Plc; Champion Recruitment; Bookham Technology Plc; Reed Personnel Services; the Oxford Colleges; Four Pillars Hotels; JDS Uniphase; Artisan Consulting UK Ltd; Office Angels; Oxford, Swindon and Gloucester Co-Operative Society Ltd; Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust; Accountancy Additions; Computeach International; Next Plc; Oxford College of Further Education; Advanced Alchemy; Kids Unlimited; Westaff (UK) Ltd; Marcham Howard Recruitment; Paterson Recruitment; Endsleigh Insurance; British Gas; Pertemps; Heythrop Park; PHC; Oxford Bus Company; Stagecoach in Oxford; Global Home Loans Ltd; Natwest Bank; Powwow Water; Monarch Recruitment; Armed Forces; Post House Oxford; Oxfordshire IAG Partnership; Virgin Vie; Outsource UK; and Workmates Building Trades.