Australia doesn’t cease to amaze me. One day, when I was browsing, I came across something very interesting. South East Try a Trade and Careers Expo 2015 it said. Now a career expo sounds very exciting for some one who is looking out for opportunities and it did excite me too.
When I did some bit of reading on the expo, I realised that it wasn’t for experienced professionals. The target audience was completely different. It was an expo for high school students. Now did that disappoint me? ‘No’. While I was growing up, I had never been to a career expo myself and this completely intrigued me. I decided that I would go pay it a visit.
I dragged my spouse and my two year old to the expo. When we reached the venue, as anticipated, I saw a lot of school buses. My daughter was very excited to see a lot of children and balloons too. As we entered, a huge truck welcomed us. Children were exploring the war truck from the Australian Army. I was just amazed. There were more surprises inside, right from horticulturists to hair dressers, from chefs to carpenters, from masons to musicians, all the options were thrown open to children to explore. The local police was also there, not to ensure law and order but explaining the roles and the job they do. I saw a young girl trying her hand at carpentry and some others trying to make cup cakes. It was a great sight. Such an awareness is so necessary for children in choosing their career path. Education sometimes becomes so academic that children tend to get lost in books not knowing where to head. Peer pressure, parental pressure makes them even more confused about the choices that they can make. But such an expo was a brilliant opportunity for them to know all about trades and, if nothing, pursue them as a hobby.
I haven’t seen too many countries that place so much importance on trades which are a source of livelihood for a lot of people and I am impressed with Australia. Now this expo was not just all about trades. It had people from varied industries like IT, Farming, Government, Health and Fitness, Hospitality and of course what students are most after – Universities. They were all there explaining to students patiently, giving them examples and insights which would eventually help them choose a career path. Interested students were all given a chance to paint, cook, be a gardener, try a hand at music and dance. There was also a lot of information on apprenticeships and internships and opportunities too.
I don’t know how many organisations take a step forward to bring awareness to children but it reminded me of an initiative run by the IT major Infosys. Catch them Young, was a program aiming at providing students a head start in understanding Information Technology. During their summer vacation, students were selected through an entrance exam and top performers got an opportunity to work alongside experienced Infosys professionals on exciting projects. These students were given a chance to try something which they could pursue later in life. As a corporate social responsibility or something to do for the community, I do wish many more organisations come forward in raising awareness especially in schools.
Under normal circumstances, given the rising costs of higher education, trying something out before we choose a career path could prove to be an expensive affair. But career expos like these most certainly help children and parents in making an informed decision. I certainly wish I had a chance to be at such expos while I was growing up, but better late than never. I didn’t regret going to this one.
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