Career tips for school leavers

If you’re not sure what to do after high school, head to the Franklin Schools’ Careers Expo on Thursday, June 21 for a career extravaganza.

Four Franklin schools would be cohosting the event and more than 900 students, parents, tertiary providers and employers are set to descend on the PIA Event Centre in Pukekohe, from 5.30pm to 8pm.

Michelle Wilson and Antoinette Walters were part of the organising team and said attendees should expect to see a range of courses, employment pathways and tertiary options to consider. Wilson, Waiuku College’s careers advisor, said the event was not just for school leavers.

‘‘It’s for anyone including parents, second-time learners and those considering going to university at an older age.’’

Walters, Gateway and Star coordinator at Waiuku College, said the expo isn’t about telling students what to do when they leave school, but about giving people information to make a good decision.

‘‘We can give the tools but we can’t tell people what to do and a lot of people don’t know what is out there.’’

When trying to make the decisions about your career, the pair agree that it’s important not to limit oneself to one particular pathway.

‘‘If you’re trying to choose between a few things, get a bit of voluntary work experience or do short courses,’’ Walters said.

‘‘And if you aren’t sure, try to keep your subjects broad at school and do maths, English and science,’’ Wilson said.

Franklin Local Board helped the schools fund the event and local board chair Angela Fulljames said the board realised how important it was for students to get all the information they need before leaving school.

‘‘There are so many options for young people these days after they leave school, so an expo like this should really help to better equip our community before they make some big decisions about their future career.’’