INDUSTRY

"Skills on Show" Careers Expo

Thursday 22 March 2012

For the Townsville Region to prosper we must realise that our progress is dependent on skills. The responsibility for skills development needs to be shared by public and private interests.

This requires a new approach. We need to work together.

There is a limited labour market from which to recruit your future workforce. SF4NQ provides an opportunity to establish a profile within schools, showcase career pathways within your industry and promote your organisation as "an employer of choice". This initiative helps to ensure that the pool of applicants from which you recruit is of the highest calibre.

In 2012 we will be promoting paraprofessional careers as well as the traditional trades. Many industry sectors are not widely recognised as having vocational pathways eg: banking, health, security, retail, legal.

We have the perfect opportunity to take an active role in increasing the status of Vocational Education and Training.

This community based, not-for-profit initiative is a true collaboration between schools, industry and training.

In 2011 schools from Ingham , The Burdekin, Charters Towers, Townsville, Palm Island, Mt Isa, Cloncurry, Hughenden, Proserpine, Collinsville and Bowen participated in the event. 100% of schools that participated in 2011 indicated they would do so in 2012.

Too often students who live in remote locations are not afforded the same opportunities as those in metropolitan areas so this is fabulous news.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT SF4NQ IS ABOUT. It is through these networks and ground level conversations that we will create synergies and achieve positive outcomes.

SF4NQ committee members will conduct a round of visits to all 30 schools in the Townsville region to hand deliver 5000 resources booklets and speak with the Vocational Teachers. The response from schools has been positive and we are expecting 2500 - 3000 students to participate in 2012. This gives you a fantastic target market gauranteed...all in the same place on the same day!

SF4NQ creates an opportunity to harness synergy across all stakeholders in the VET sector. It is through these effective working relationships and ground level conversations that we will ensure the Townsville region has a skilled workforce and continues to propser. 

photographs by Lori Neilsen 0419 649 697