Working World Exhibition returns
More than 80 career exhibitors are set to take part in one of SA’s most comprehensive career fairs — the Working World Exhibition — which returns to Gqeberha for a bumper 25th edition this month.
Taking place at the Feather Market Centre from February 20-22, the bustling three-day programme is expected to offer residents a chance to penetrate the job market with the widest-ever range of free career resources.
Pupils, teachers, parents and unemployed youth will have a chance to engage directly with prospective employers.
They will also get to rub shoulders with a host of established business and government leaders, Inkanyezi Event chief executive Andrew Binning said.
Headlining the fair, educator and author Prof Jonathan Jansen will impart critical expertise and insights.
“The participation of Jansen and other leaders from organised business, academia, government and civic society is essential for the collaborative effort required to address youth unemployment, the development of scarce skills and the retention of those skills in SA,” Binning said.
“This is one of the main strategic objectives of the Working World initiative.”
The exhibitors represent a wide array of study and training options, including higher learning institutions and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges.
Several industry associations, scientific and research agencies and government departments, including health and labour, form part of the programme.
“The department of employment and labour will set up a mobile office at the expo to guide [young job seekers] into employment opportunities,” Binning said.
“Eight Sector Education Training Authorities (SETAs) will share with visitors available skills programmes and learnerships across several industry sectors.
“Corporate participation has also been included.”
Binning, who founded the community initiative in 1999, said the Working World initiative was driven to address the country’s existential youth unemployment crisis.
“The Working World careers expo has reached over 350,000 pupils, unemployed youth and teachers annually for the past 24 years,” he said.
“Exponentially, more have benefited from the resources [made available] through the initiative, such as career guidance textbooks which, thanks to partnerships, are created, printed and distributed free of charge.
“The expo focuses on providing pupils with resources and exposing them to options around study and career choices that lead to employment.
“Pupils of attending schools also receive a comprehensive career guidance guide and access to a screened DVD on future careers.
“Over the years, working with our partners, we’ve directly interacted with tens of thousands of school leavers, received an award for contributing to job creation from the president’s office and, from the visitor feedback we receive, have made a serious contribution to one of our country’s most challenging issues.”
Access to the annual expo and all of its resources is free to pupils, parents, teachers, unemployed youth and others.
The programme runs daily from 9am to 4pm for the duration of the expo.