THOUSANDS of high school kids got to taste of what life might be like in the workforce at Ignite Youth Careers Expo at Logan Metro Sports Centre.
Sixty-eight busloads of kids from 24 Logan schools motored in for the Logan City Council annual event which gets kids up close and personal with dozens of careers of choice.
Logan acting mayor Cherie Dalley dropped in to see it all in action.
“The attendees at the Ignite Youth Careers Expo are the future of Logan’s workforce and economy,” she said.
“They might be students today but in the coming years they will be our future workers, business owners and entrepreneurs.
“By hosting this event, we’re opening their eyes to a world of career and study opportunities they may want to pursue,” Ms Dalley said.
Logan treasurer Trevina Schwarz said the idea was to provide tools to help Logan kids progress into the workforce.
“We’ve have extraordinary numbers again and we’re proud that our Ignite Youth Careers Expo continues to draw so many attendees,” she said.
“The expo has provides a great opportunity for these attendees to learn about different professions and gather further information on study options.”
Logan traineeship co-ordinator Donna Harris said the massive event was the culmination of months of planning with three basketball courts and outdoor spaces turned into a giant interactive job search space designed to help kids make the journey from school to work.
“We’ve got a launch zone for those just getting started in job search and a guidance zone for those who are unsure what they want to do and need some help and advice,” Ms Harris said.
“There’s a success zone for kids who think like entrepreneurs and want to start their own businesses.
“We have directions zone for those who want to see what the unis, TAFEs, colleges and external providers have to offer.
“At Try a Trade, kids get hands on experience in a range of trades with supervision from those who work across a range of jobs.
“We’ve got some big machines out there – an excavator, a prime mover, others I think. They can climb on board under supervision and see how these things work.’
“They can try their hand at carpentry under supervision. There are diagnostic machines and people who can show them how they work.”
Some 74 exhibitors set up stalls at the event. They included Queensland Police Service and TV station Channel 9, with a media desk designed to give visitors a taste of what newsreading might be like.
Radio station Rebel 90.5 gave kids the chance to take part in vox pops in groups of up to 10 and gave kids ownership of the results to include with their CVs.
Ms Harris said the event could not have gone ahead with valuable input from trainees and volunteers who learned about event work in the bargain.
“We hope to expand to a full day next year, so kids can bring their parents too. We’ve had a lot of feedback from parents who wished they could come with their kids and see what we do.”
