Original article By Jim Gainsford, Published April 4 2025 by the leader. Read the original article here.
Hundreds of students, employers, and industry leaders turned out for the 2025 Southern Sydney Jobs and Skills Fair at Hurtsville's Marana Auditorium yesterday.
The event allowed students to make new connections, explore career pathways, and discover industry and training opportunities to help shape their future careers.
The Job and Skills Fair was opened by NSW Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education, Steve Whan.
"Southern Sydney, like many regions, faces significant skills challenges. The demand for skilled workers is growing across industries such as technology, healthcare, manufacturing, and construction," Mr Whan said.
"Events like this play a role in addressing these skills challenges by connecting young people with the employers and training providers who are shaping Sydney' s future workforce."
The event was organised by Business Chamber South partnering with the Department of Education's Regional Industry Education Partnerships program (RIEP), an initiative to bridge the gap between local employers and job-seeking students
The target audience was students interested in exploring next steps in the career journey including apprenticeships, traineeships, and early work experience.
"This fair isn't just about information; it's about experience," Regional Industry Education Partnerships officer Trevor Adams said.
"Students who attend gain a tangible sense of what their future careers might look like, helping them to make confident, well-informed decisions about apprenticeships, work experience, and employment opportunities.
"Connecting with employers at the Jobs and Skills Fair provides students with invaluable insight into the job market. It's not just about securing a job, but about understanding the broader landscape and refining career aspirations to better align with industry needs," he said.
The Fair offered a wide range of pathways including school-based apprenticeships, full-time apprenticeships and traineeships, part-time and full-time roles, and work experience placements.
Students and job seekers were able to participate in mock interviews and speed networking, directly connecting them with industry representatives.
The students were able to sign up for experiential 'day-in-the-life' opportunities with employers.