Careers advice by talk show queen; ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE.

TALK show queen Trisha Goddard visited the new City Library in Newcastle earlier this month to help local people seek advice that could change their lives.

The daytime television star used her talents as a chat show host to encourage visitors to Newcastle City Library to open up and talk about their personal interests and skills to nextstep careers advisors, who work to help adults find the perfect job match or learning opportunity to take them to their dream job.

Trisha visited the North East to promote nextstep, the life changing careers advice service funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC).

"Through my show and personal experience I have learned that life is about overcoming challenges, looking for opportunities and not being afraid to ask for help and support," explained Trisha.

Although famed for her role as a talk show host, Trisha has undergone a number of career changes herself. The 51-year-old worked as an air stewardess and in PR, as well as being a children's TV presenter, news and current affairs reporter and advisor on mental health issues to the Australian Government.

"If I can make the changes and learn the necessary skills to take on the new jobs that I set my sights on, anyone can," she said.

"It's all about knowing where you want to go and understanding the skills you need to get there. Your job can be a huge part of your life, in terms of the time you spend doing it and the way that it makes you feel about yourself, so it's important to get the right one.

"Unfortunately, lots of people today find themselves to be unemployed or they are not in the job they want, they don't feel they have the skills to make a change and don't know where to turn for help. That's where the nextstep service comes in."

The nextstep service is a free service and is available to anyone aged 20 or above. It is also available to 18 or 19-year-olds, who have been referred to the service by Jobcentre Plus.

Since August 2008, nextstep has supported 20,503 people across the North East. Last month it contacted a sample of 2,861 of its clients to get a snapshot of the impact the service is having. Of those contacted 48% had gone into work or training and 3% had received promotions.

"From time to time we could all do with advice and guidance to help with improving skills, finding or changing our job," said Chris Roberts, regional director, LSC North East.

"Lots of people find they are not in the job they want because they don't feel confident about their reading, writing or maths. Nextstep can help point you in the right direction to improve your skills - and tell you what financial support is available."

As well as helping people identify the skills they want to improve, nextstep can also help identify the new skills needed for a career change and how skills learnt in one job can be valuable in another. In the current economic climate the nextstep service is offering advice to adults that have been made redundant or who face redundancy, steering them toward new opportunities.

Trisha met nextstep client Ollie Hoque, who used the nextstep service to seek advice on what to do when she finished her Childhood Studies degree at Northumbria University. As a result of her discussion with nextstep, Ollie is pursuing a career in community development and mental health.

To find your nearest nextstep office visit www.nextstepnortheast.org.uk, e-mail [e-mail] or tel: [phone].

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MAKING CHANGES Trisha Goddard.