EMPLOYERS, recruitment agencies, charities and trainers come together on the third floor of a building in Worcester Street.

Career Hub Oxfordshire, above Job Centre Plus, aims to get people off benefits and into work.

Since it opened three months ago, more than 1,000 job seekers have used its services which include group sessions, one-to-one mentoring and help with searches, applications and interviews.

Among those working with the Careers Hub are charities OxForward and Aspire, recruitment agencies Capital Outsourcing and Champion Recruitment, training firm People Plus and Abingdon & Witney college.

Oxfordshire Job Centre Plus employer account manager Anne-Marie Deane says one of the main aims behind Careers Hub is to boost confidence.

She said: "Job fairs are excellent but walking into a huge room with hundreds of people can be scary.

"It is about having the confidence to go up and start a conversation with a potential employer, which is not always easy."

A bank of eight computers at one end of The Hub are used for online job searches, filling in applications and creating or updating CVs, with staff ready to help if needed.

Recruitment agencies and employers drop in to the Careers Hub hoping to fill full or part-time roles in industries from catering, restaurants and retail to health, security construction and care.

Job hunters are encouraged to have informal chats with potential employers, something which Ms Deane believes makes a big difference.

She added: "When clients are relaxed, they are more likely to come across well to potential employers than if it was a hugely formal interview situation.

"And often someone can put their case better in person than on paper."

Among The Hub’s clients last week was 52-year-old Ricardo Baker who has been working in Gloucester Green market for the past three years.

Mr Baker wants to increase the 16-20 hours a week he works, so with the help of work coach Cindy Lowe, has been applying for jobs.

He said: "I think it’s good here - Cindy has helped me with my CV and job applications."

Mr Baker, who lives in Headington, left school at 14 but gained qualifications as an adult.

A troubled background, including homelessness and a criminal record, has made finding a full-time job harder.

But he hopes his track record of employment will persuade an employer to give him a chance.

Fewer than one per cent of Oxfordshire’s population claim unemployment-related benefit, which is half the UK average.

And during the past five years, the number of claimants in the county has dramatically fallen.

But there are still almost 1,000 Oxford residents on unemployment-related benefits plus 1,700 more in the rest of the county.

Mental or physical disability is also a recognised barrier to finding work.

OxForward, a voluntary wellbeing and employment support service offers one-to-one mentoring.

Funded by Oxfordshire County Council, it is run jointly by training specialists Kennedy Scott and Mencap.

Paul Davidson, of Kennedy Scott, said: "What we aim to do is give people the skills and confidence to approach employers without their disability being the first thing that is seen.

"It’s about saying 'look at what I do' rather than focusing on the fact that I happen to be in a wheelchair."