General News
14 March, 2024
Expo to support jobseekers
In a bid to bridge the gap between jobseekers and local employers, the Maryborough Railway Station will play host to the Maryborough Careers Expo. The collaborative event involves the Central Goldfields Shire Council, Committee for Maryborough and...
In a bid to bridge the gap between jobseekers and local employers, the Maryborough Railway Station will play host to the Maryborough Careers Expo.
The collaborative event involves the Central Goldfields Shire Council, Committee for Maryborough and Workforce Australia among others.
The exhibition will host over 20 local employers from industries including tourism, hospitality, trade, healthcare and manufacturing, who will provide insight on the various employment opportunities in the region.
Central Goldfields Shire youth officer Gemma Simpson said the event is vital in enabling needed discussions in the employment industry.
“It is important for young people and for the community to have this opportunity,” she said.
“It is certainly the first [careers expo] that has happened in a while and it is certainly the biggest one that has happened in quite a long time.
“The enthusiasm from schools and employers really shows the need in the community to start building these connections.”
A key component of council’s Economic Development Strategy is the Triggering Innovation Leadership Transformation (TILT) project, which aims to reduce the Central Goldfields’ above average unemployment rate by improving education and training pathways.
Ms Simpson said the expo hopes to build on the strides made by the TILT project.
“We recognise from discussions that it is a challenging hiring environment at the moment for local industries — and we know from our engagement with young people that it is important to them to see the pathways and opportunities in the community so that they don’t feel they have to move for their career,” she said.
“The idea for more career events like this comes from the young people that we have consulted throughout the TILT project.
“We will be following up in April with an industry open house week, which will be an additional opportunity for people who are interested in certain industries to follow up and actually do site tours or visit businesses to understand what they have got on offer.”
Committee for Maryborough executive officer Kerrie Dowling said the event will allow secondary students to potentially preview their future career.
“This is about trying to give kids a bigger picture of the career opportunities available and maybe see a little bit about each business while they are here,” she said.
“When you talk about a job at a hospital, they think about being a doctor or nurse, but then there’s the admin staff, cleaning staff, maintenance staff just to name a few.
“It is really important to get businesses involved to show that link between being at school to having this ideal job that you want or what jobs are out there that suit a kid’s skillset.”
Entry to the Maryborough Careers Expo is free, with the event held next Wednesday, March 20 from 1 pm at the Maryborough Railway Station.