General News
9 July, 2024
Students chase the future at career expo
Agriculture, industry, manufacturing, tertiary education, policing and community and health services were among the many work sectors on show at this year's Western Victoria Careers Expo.
Local Learning and Employment Network (LLEN) project manager David Crooks hailed the event at Longrenong’s Wimmera Machinery Field Days site, a huge success.
The increasingly popular event attracted 85 exhibitors and almost 2000 students from 25 schools and colleges, as far north as Manangatang and Ouyen to Hamilton in the south.
"We're really proud of the day and that we had a blend of everything," Mr Crooks said after the event.
"We catered for as many students as possible and we're really pleased with the standard of the exhibits.
"Many exhibitors commented on how engaged the students were.
“They were keen to hear about possible careers and the path needed to get there."
Kaniva student Jessica Dunn is in Year 12 at Horsham’s St Brigid's College.
She is planning a career in the police force, and said she appreciated the opportunity to speak with police from Wimmera Proactive Policing Unit as well as specialist officers from the Melbourne-based Critical Incident Response Team.
At the Victoria Police stand, students also had the opportunity to try on the safety gear used during operations, and handle specialist equipment such as door jammers.
Other exhibitors included the Defence Force, Country Fire Authority and Ambulance Victoria.
At the LLEN exhibit, students took a close look at a real-life occupation situation from a 3D perspective, donning special goggles to take a 360-degree virtual look at a range of careers.
Mr Crooks said the cherry picker which rose 35 metres into the air was a hit with students, and more than 100 jumped on for a free ride.
A Vocation Education and Training (VET) exhibition of three local Registered Training Organisations offered information on trade and certificates for students entering Year 12, while a Tertiary Info Roadshow (TIR) combined information from 15 universities.
A free bus from Horsham's Aquatic Centre allowed people other than students to attend the careers expo, attracting job seekers and people interested in changing careers.
Mr Crooks said some people who attended the event had received job offers while exploring and talking to stallholders.