Careers expos have kicked off around the country, and the Visual Connections / ASGA Education Initiative is making sure that print, sign and display are ‘front and centre’ for students looking at their options for careers and further education.
A steady stream of students recently attended the Adelaide Careers & Employment Expo at the Adelaide Showground, with Australian Schools Industry Partnership (AusSIP) reporting that the interest in industry careers was high with students seeking more information about apprenticeships and industry training.
“It was great to see the level of interest from students and their parents in the range of careers and training opportunities available in the sign and graphics sector, with many of those who visited our stand expressing pleasant surprise at the range of options available in real careers and the opportunity for work experience,” AusSIP said.
“In partnership with the local TAFEs we have already been able to connect some of these young people directly with the trainers, and are working our way through many more enquiries to ensure we capitalise on the interest generated.”
Melbourne is currently hosting the Victorian Careers Show 2023, at the Melbourne Showgrounds Ascot Vale, until 20 May.
This will be followed by the Brisbane Careers and Employment Expo at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from 26 to 27 May, the Western Sydney Careers Expo 2023 at The Dome, Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park from 22 to 24 June, and the SkillsWest Careers & Employment Expo at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre from 27 to 29 July.
AusSIP said interest is expected to be particularly high in Sydney in June, with the team expecting to see return visits from many of the students who visited Visual Impact Sydney to ‘Try-A-Trade’ a few weeks ago.
“We know that many of the students who gained some ‘hands-on’ experience in a range of activities at Visual Impact are keen to find out more, and we’ve been fielding a lot of enquiries in the lead up to the Careers Expos,” AusSIP said.
“Visual Impact provided a great platform for students and teachers to see just how diverse and exciting the industry is, and as always we saw great interest, particularly from those with a creative or technical aptitude. We expect to see a number of those at the Careers Expo, as well as many others who may be seeing the industry on show for the very first time.”
ASGA president Mick Harrold said the Careers Expos will be followed by opportunities for students to connect with their local TAFEs and get out into the industry for a more in-depth hands-on look at what sign and display businesses do in practice.
“There is no more vital issue to the future of our industry than attracting, training and retaining good talent,” Harrold said.
“We know our sector offers many advantages and can absolutely become an ‘employer of choice’ for aspiring young people, but we need a strong and reliable model of outreach and education to ensure we capture their interest and can direct them to appropriate training and apprenticeships.
“The success of our pre-pandemic pilot program in NSW in 2019 provided proof of concept, delivering not only an increased number of sign and display apprentices that year but also encouraging more girls to take up the trades.
“We are proud to be partnering with Visual Connections to continue this important initiative to create awareness of, and interest in, careers in signage, display, wide-format print and the wider graphics sector, and to be working with AusSIP, TAFEs and other RTOs around the country to help young people equip themselves for a career in our exciting and dynamic sector.”
The Visual Connections / ASGA Education initiative is sponsored by Amari Visual Solutions, Ball & Doggett, Cactus Imaging, Fujifilm Graphic Systems, Graphic Art Mart, Mulford Plastics, ORAFOL, Pozitive Sign & Graphic Supplies, Sign-a-Rama, Starleaton and Visual Connections.
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