More than 2000 students and jobseekers flocked to the Fraser Coast Industry and Careers Showcase on June 7, 2023.
The showcase is one of Australia’s largest regional employment expos and is a partnership between Jobs Fraser Coast and the Fraser Coast Regional Council.
The Queensland Government funds Jobs Fraser Coast to support and develop a skilled, sustainable workforce for the region.
The showcase is open to jobseekers of all ages – from students and school leavers to people returning to the workforce looking for a career change or inspiration.
Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour said the indoor-outdoor experience provides real-world insights into various roles through live demonstrations, hands-on experiences, and opportunities to talk to industry experts.
“The showcase aims to help job seekers not just to discover a new career in their backyard, but also to find the pathway to get there, with the help of a range of training and education organisations who will also be exhibiting,” the mayor said.
“We also hope the event will boost our fantastic local employers, many of whom are struggling to fill vacancies and are frequently looking for skilled workers.
The Queensland forest wood products industry strongly supports the expo
More than 80 exhibitors participated in the showcase, with a healthy representation of timber and forestry stakeholders, including:
Kerry Fullerton was impressed by the strong turnout and noted the importance of the showcase in providing job seekers with new pathways into the forest products sector.
Ms. Fullerton is the South and Central Queensland Regional Forestry Hub Manager and was invited by Timber Queensland, the Fraser Coast Regional Council, to attend the showcase.
Queensland’s regional forestry hubs are part of a network funded by the Australian Government, with one million dollars in seed funding for both the South East + Central and the North Queensland hubs to leverage and implement projects to boost productivity and growth in the sector.
The regional hubs are a key action under the Australian Government’s National Forest Industries Plan.
The showcase is a pivotal part of the Fraser Coast annual calendar
The showcase is the brainchild of the Fraser Coast Regional Jobs Committee and is charged with supporting the growth and development of a strong, capable, and skilled workforce in the region.
Leading up to the showcase, Committee Chair Michelle Hay, head of the University of the Sunshine Coast’s Fraser Coast campus, said now was the time to start taking steps towards reshaping the local workforce.
“We want people to come along, see something they’re interested in, talk to industry representatives about what it’s like, chat to training providers to find a pathway to get there – and maybe even fill a position or get an apprenticeship on the day.
“We believe this showcase is the right event for our times, and we intend for it to become a pivotal part of the annual calendar.”
This is the second year the event was staged, following the highly successful inaugural event last October. Jared Cooks, Project Officer for Jobs Fraser Coast, recently reflected on the legacy of last year’s event.
“The showcase was like all the school tours brought into one place – it was designed to be hands-on and interactive so it could give people real-world insights into certain jobs,” Jared said.
“We’ve had so much positive feedback about it, from jobseekers who secured interviews or jobs on the day, to students who learned about what training they could do while they were still at school, or employers with vacancies who came away with a pile of genuine CVs to sift through.
Following the success of this year’s event, planning is underway for the 2024 event.
