Senior students from Great Lakes College and Bulahdelah Central School attended the annual Taree and District Careers and Future Options Expo at Chatham High School on Friday, August 2.
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Joining fellow school seniors from around the region, the Year 10, 11 and 12 students were exposed to a wealth of information about the various career and further education opportunities that awaited them beyond high school.
With representatives on hand from numerous tertiary education institutes, the police, defence force, MidCoast Council and a variety of other organisations, the students were free to wander around and enquire about the pathways that were available to them.
Great Lakes College senior campus career advisor, Pauline Webber, believed it was great for students in the region to have such an informative event in their own backyard.
"In an age of screen-time and information overload on the Internet, it's really good for them to come and talk to the representatives from these organisations face-to-face and ask really good questions," she said.
"The response has been really positive."
Year 10 students from Great Lakes College, Emily Cooper, Hayley Menser and Teagan Nicholson wandered the expo together but all found different things that interested them.
Emily spoke to all the university vendors about studying law and what double degree options were available to her, taking a liking to the University of Sydney and Charles Sturt University at Port Macquarie.
Hayley, on the other hand, enquired about the grades she would need to study music at Griffith University on the Gold Coast.
Tegan was also interested in Griffith University, but had her eye on a nursing degree.
Both girls admitted the sun and surf on the Gold Coast added to the university's appeal.
For those not interested in a university pathway, there were many other options available, with MidCoast Council showcasing the 25 new apprenticeships and trainee positions they'll be offering between 2020 and 2021.
Airforce sergeant Paul Gallaway and Army corporal Justin Hill also spoke to students about the various career options available to them in the Australian Defence Force.
Taree High School career advisor and event co-organiser Glen Bowman believed the range of opportunities the expo exposed students to was a big part of its appeal.
"It opens kids eyes to the opportunities," he said.
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