Free job fair at the Oakwood Centre, Woodley, on Monday 12 October, 10am to 2pm. Wates, Mace, Optalis and the University of Reading are among eight employers.

A free job fair is coming to Woodley on Monday 12 October. It runs from 10am to 2pm at the Oakwood Centre on Headley Road. Entry is free and there is no need to book.

Wokingham Borough Council is running it with the Department for Work and Pensions. The council says employers will bring live vacancies, and that advisers will be on hand for CVs, job searching, apprenticeships and training (Wokingham Borough Council, 28 September 2026).

Who is going

The council’s event listing names eight employers (Wokingham Borough Council Engage, Woodley Job Fair):

Employer What they do
Wates Construction and property services
Mace Construction and consultancy
Balfour Beatty Infrastructure and construction
Optalis Adult social care
Hamberley Care Homes Care homes
Inspire Children’s Day Nurseries Childcare
University of Reading Higher education
Realise Training Apprenticeships and training

Five support organisations are also listed:

  • the Department for Work and Pensions
  • Wokingham Borough Council
  • Connect to Work
  • Wokingham Job Support Centre
  • The Skills and Business Hub

The council’s release says care, hospitality, local government and construction will be represented. The event listing adds technology. The list may still grow before the day.

What it means for you

  • Who it is for: anyone looking for work, returning to work, thinking about a career change or looking at training.
  • When: Monday 12 October, 10am to 2pm. It falls on a school day, inside normal school hours.
  • Where: The Oakwood Centre, Headley Road, Woodley, RG5 4JZ.
  • Cost and booking: free, and you can simply turn up.
  • What to bring: the council does not say. A few printed copies of your CV are worth taking if you want to talk to employers about specific roles.

On 3 October, 52 people were listed as attending on the council’s event page. Signing up there is optional.

Why the council is running it

Cllr Mark Ashwell is the executive member for economic development. “Good employment opportunities are important for both our residents and our local economy,” he said. He added that the council has “had lots of success with the previous job fairs we’ve organised”.

Optalis, one of the employers attending, provides adult social care services for the council. The council’s Executive recommended renewing that contract on 24 September; we covered that in Wokingham Council This Week.

For other things happening in the borough this month, see What’s On in Wokingham.