Options aplenty at Kāpiti Coast Youth Careers Expo

The Kapiti Coast Youth Careers Expo. Photo / David Haxton

The first Kāpiti Coast Youth Careers Expo can easily be declared a success, judging by the large number of attendees.

Senior students from Kāpiti College, Year 10 and up from Ōtaki College, as well as all students from Paraparaumu College were invited to the exposition at Southward Car Museum today.

Primary school students from Raumati South School and Levin Intermediate students also visited.

The exposition featured 50 tertiary providers, an employment lounge where employers sought students for part-time work, employment lawyers and Star People helped with CVs and contractual advice, Kiwibank was there for all things finance, a speaker's lounge had people from the community talking about their careers, and there was a lineup of students busking.

Orange T-shirts with an Expo logo were created and worn by various organising staff from the three colleges as well as the Kāpiti Coast Youth Council.

"It's really important, I think, in this current climate, for students to be thinking about their futures and being positive about it," Paraparaumu College head of careers and transition Kim Kelly said.

"It's a bit heads-down at the moment and not looking forward as much as we normally do."

Previous career expositions on a smaller scale had been held at Paraparaumu College and Kāpiti College, but the need arose for a large single one, she said.

"I was at Victoria University and met Richard Barnett, who is the student recruitment organiser, and he said that for them, going to all these different expos was quite full-on, and he was appreciative of one in the Hutt, which was a big one for the community where everyone could come at the same time.

"So the wheels started turning and I thought wouldn't it be fantastic if we did something like that on the coast.

"I chatted to a few of our providers about whether it would be of interest to them and they were keen.

"One of the things providers like as well is having parents come too, because it makes for a richer discussion.

"We started talking about it last year and have spent the last six months getting everyone organised and ready for it."