What do you want to do when you grow up? It’s the question we’re asked from an early age, and for most of us the answer is; I don’t know! With unemployment at a high with our youth, Worldskills Australia host events across the country each year to help our High School students and early school leavers answer this question.
Try a Skill Day is in its fifth year with High School students from the Central Coast. Worldskills Australia started this great event where early school leavers and students interested in getting hands on experience can come along to the TAFE Ourimbah Campus to take a look at various vocations at their Try a Skills Expo 2018.
With the local business getting involved and sending their staff along to talk with the High School students and leavers about what their job roles entail, demonstrating their trades and actually giving them a taste of what a ‘day in the life’ would be like. It’s a chance to give the kids a hands-on experience and help them understand what they can expect if they were to take a role in that industry.
It’s a great way for kids to make connections with business and professionals in their chosen industry. From electrical and beauty through to emergency services and child care there were so many different businesses available with staff and tradies happy to help the kids. A program like this helps give them a few new ideas about career options for their future that they may not have thought about before this experience.
We sent along a staff member from our Express Lube store to give the kids a chance to ask questions and hear instant feedback on what it’s like to work at Express Lube. We think it’s so important for kids to get a ‘try before you buy’ experience. With so many jumping from school, straight to UNI or TAFE and not really knowing for sure what they really want to do after they leave school. By giving them the chance to speak to staff that actually work in the field that they want to join, they can ask the questions and get the answers from people with inside knowledge of what it takes to work in that role.
We’d like to thank Hunter TAFE Ourimbah and Central Coast Group Training for putting on an important event for the youth of the Central Coast. Giving the kids a chance to experience the work is such an important part of steering them on the correct path to start off in the right career as a young adult.
