Not sure what to do after high school?
Head to the Franklin Schools’ Careers Expo on Thursday June 21 for a career extravaganza.
Four schools in the region are co-hosting this event and over 900 students, parents, tertiary providers and employers are set to descend on the PIA Event Centre in Pukekohe.
Michelle Wilson and Antoinette Walters are part of the organising team and say attendees should expect to see a range of courses, employment pathways and tertiary options to consider.
Michelle, Waiuku College’s Careers Advisor, says the event is not just school leavers.
“It’s for anyone including parents, second-time learners and those considering going to university at an older age.”
Antoinette, Gateway and Star co-ordinator at Waiuku College, says the expo isn’t about telling students what to do when they leave school, rather it’s about giving people more information to make a good decision.
“We can give the tools but we can’t tell people what to do and a lot of people don’t know what is out there.”
When trying to make the decisions about your career, the pair agree that it’s important not to limit oneself to one particular pathway.
“If you’re trying to choose between a few things, get a bit of voluntary work experience or do short courses," Antoinette says.
"Some of the providers at the expo offer Star and Gateway courses, this provides a taster as to what that career pathway has to offer."
“And if you aren't sure, try to keep your subjects broad at school and do maths, English and science,” Michelle adds.
Franklin Local Board has helped the schools fund this event for the last three years and local board chair Angela Fulljames says the board realises how important it is students get all the information they need before leaving school.
“There are so many options for young people these days after they leave school, so an expo like this should really help to better equip our community before they make some big decisions about their future career,” she says.
Franklin Schools’ Career Expo is at the PIA Event Centre, Thursday 21 June from 5.30pm to 8pm.
Go to Franklin Schools Career Expo on Facebook or talk to the careers department in your school.
Michelle and Antoinette's top tips for school leavers
- Do some voluntary work experience to get a taste for different industries.
- Investigate what scholarships are out there.
- Be aware of the environment you’re going into.
- Consider a gap year where you work or travel rather than study after finishing high school.
- Do a broad range of subjects at school to keep your post-secondary school options open.
