By CASEY NEILL
Keysborough College students got a taste of the career opportunities ahead of them and the pathways to get there.
Assistant principal Lynda Portelli said the sixth Pathways Expo ran throughout Thursday 26 May at the school’s Acacia Campus.
“We survey our students. They regularly say it’s really helped inform them,” she said.
More than 900 students from years nine to 12 from the Acacia and Banksia campuses met education and training providers, industry groups and business representatives as they made their way through about 50 stalls.
Ms Portelli said universities, TAFEs and private providers were represented alongside defence and police forces, Greater Dandenong Council’s youth services team and Telstra.
“There was a really broad spectrum on offer for students to engage with,” she said.
“Every student has half a period in the expo and then they have half a period where they have a presentation either from someone in the university sector or someone in the TAFE sector or someone who can talk about how you pathway from TAFE to university.”
Ms Portelli said students who looked at the Engineering Australia stall had a better understanding of that industry.
“We had the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute. They were talking all about maths and women in maths,” Ms Portelli said.
“So, as well as careers, we had other things to enrich our students of what’s possible.”
Ms Portelli said the event was part of a wider career education program.
“In year 10 they specifically have a whole week focused on pathways and they go to work experience as well,” she said.
“The feedback we got from the stallholders was that it’s one of the best expos they go to because it’s so well organised and our students are very engaged.”
