The BUSY School ‘NO LIMITS – Careers Expo’ 2024

Held today at The BUSY School Coolangatta Campus, the NO LIMITS – Careers Expo offered The BUSY School students in the South-East Queensland region the opportunity to explore career pathways to support their future success.

With interactive workshops and a range of industry employers, education facilities and training organisations exhibiting, students had the chance to gain information and participate in hands-on workshops, offering them a glimpse into different trades.

Cohan, a Year 12 student and Student Leader from the Coolangatta campus shared his excitement about the expo, stating, “I’m excited about how many people are actually interested in giving us opportunities and being able to see what we can do.” As a Student Leader, Cohan acts as a bridge between the students and teachers to assist with any struggles students may be having.

“At my previous school, I didn’t really like it and I had an attitude of, ‘oh well, I’ll just do whatever, maybe mechanics’, but now that I really like school since coming here, I want to do something I enjoy.

“I’ll probably go to Southern Cross University, and I want to be a teacher. I’d like to work at an alternative school, mainly a secondary school like The BUSY School. I’d love to work in a school like this; I believe these types of schools are more personalised and more suited to most students these days.”

Jasper and Seth, Year 11 students from the Shailer Park campus, also attended the day. Both are interested in construction and have already started a school-based apprenticeship. They are taking the opportunity to connect with potential future employers who attended the day.

Jasper said, “The expo is great as we can suss out future job opportunities; it’s a good way to try and find work. I’m interested in construction, and I’m already doing a school-based apprenticeship in construction landscaping.”

Dahna Woods, representing Study Gold Coast—an organisation that connects students to further study and work opportunities upon leaving school—said the reason they exhibited today was, “We are the peak body for industry education, connecting young people with industry across the Gold Coast. It gives us an opportunity to understand what students are after and let them know how we can assist them into industry pathways after completing school.”

Marikka Wilken, Employment Pathway Officer at The BUSY School Coolangatta, said, “We’re really motivated to get our students out there to see what opportunities are available to them. We wanted to give them the opportunity to meet prospective employers.

“We’re really excited by the effort that the exhibitors have put in, the turnout here today, and also the interaction from the students!”

The NO LIMITS – Careers Expo exhibitors included a range of local businesses and esteemed community organisations, Registered Training Organisations, renowned Universities and Trade Industry representatives. View the full list of exhibitors here.

The day provided interactive workshops, a barbecue lunch that everyone enjoyed and even live DJs to add to the atmosphere!

Plan ahead! Our event will be held annually, so if your business is keen on exhibiting in 2025, please contact:

Carly Brown via email at carly.brown@thebusygroup.com.au

 

Cohan (centre) with the crew from Southern Cross University who exhibited on the day. Cohan is interested in a career path as a high school teacher.

Jasper (L) and Seth (R) with the crew from Smart Apprenticeship Solutions, a Group Training Organisation that offers employment opportunities for apprentices.

BUSY Schools Support Students in their Education and Career Pathways

Two Year 12 students at BUSY Schools Cairns, Kais and Jacob, are undertaking work experience as Diesel Mechanics at Kinetic Fleet Services who own Sunbus Depot and Love’s Buses in Smithfield.

Both students are really enjoying getting their hands dirty and are hoping to gain a school-based apprenticeship from the work experience opportunity. One of the students, Kais is feeling optimistic about pursuing this as a career, having never considered becoming a Diesel Mechanic until a few months ago.

Kais grew up in Torres Strait and Thursday Island and his earlier schooling was done via remote learning. He was taught only one topic per term and after hearing about BUSY Schools when he first moved to Cairns, he was really excited to attend a campus with a broader curriculum and support of employment pathways.

“I realised the program was a great fit for me as an individual and although going from learning one topic per term to learning ten topics per term was a big adjustment, the support I received from my teachers, where they go out of their way to assist me, was extremely helpful,” said Kais.

Employment Pathways Officer at BUSY Schools Cairns, Amba Tipton, stated, “At BUSY Schools we take the opportunity to get to know the students and treat them as equals.

This not only makes them feel more comfortable in the classroom, but it also allows us to gain a better understanding of their attitudes, learning abilities and appropriate career choices. This helps with our individualised approach to teaching and learning and support towards employment opportunities.”

Jacob came from a different educational experience and struggled at his last school, he didn’t enjoy the schooling and found it difficult to pay attention in class. He now appreciates the non-traditional school setting BUSY Schools offers and the assistance he gets from his teachers.

“I’ve found I am understanding the schoolwork a lot better because my teachers are explaining it to me in a way that helps me comprehend it easier,” said Jacob.

Lee Aitken, CEO for BUSY Schools said, “BUSY Schools is focused on the individual student, their strengths and career aspirations. Students get to explore pathways through work experience and vocational education alongside their school curriculum.  It’s great to see students like Jacob and Kai completely change the way they view their schoolwork and their future.”

BUSY Schools Cairns students, Jacob (L) and Kai (R), had the opportunity to undertake work experience in Diesel Mechanics trade with Kinetic Fleet Services.

For more information, visit https://www.busyschools.qld.edu.au/

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