More than 5000 learners expected to attend annual education event

The annual Career Indaba will once again bridge the gap for students between studying and entering the working world. Career Indaba is taking place alongside the African Education Week Annual Convention and Learning Expo from 19-22 June at the Sandton International Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

Programme director Claire O’Connell says career guidance is often overlooked in the transition from education to employment and that “most learners don’t know what they want to do when they finish studying and those who do often find they have made the wrong subject choices to pursue their dreams.”
More than 5000 learners are expected to attend the second Career Indaba in June.  The expo brings together grade 9 -12, college and university students, with educational institutions and the business world to provide information on how subject choice effects career paths, career guidance, skill development, available study options, bursaries and employment opportunities for graduates.

Free career-focussed workshops:
Says Claire O’Connell: “learners visiting the Career Indaba can enroll for free career-focussed workshops, strengths and aptitude tests, win prizes and much more.  We have added more workshop theatres with 60 free seminars covering a variety of topics from how to write a CV, preparing for your first interview, to interviews with successful professionals, including celebrities, who have made it.”

She continues:  “This year we are also expanding the focus from information for learners on further study options to a job fair with exhibiting companies looking to recruit and provide information on job opportunities in SA and overseas as well as work placements.”

Boston City Campus gives free career assessment

Schools should invest more heavily in career counselling says Natalie Rabson, Marketing Manager at Boston City Campus & Business College, one of the exhibitors at Career Indaba.  She explains:  “well-informed counsellors will be able to educate learners about the many options they have in terms of tertiary institutions and courses as well as help them find the ones that match their needs, skills and interests.”
She advises anyone who is leaving school in a few years to “be aware of the sea of opportunities in the market and to think creatively about career choices. There are so many interesting career options to consider these days, with new career options coming to the fore all the time.”

Boston offers a free Career Compass Assessment, a computerised assessment tool that matches an individual’s interests and strengths to courses and career options.  It is available at any one of Boston City Campus’s 48 branches nationwide.

African Education Week
African Education Week Annual Convention and Learning Expo is the meeting and trading platform for everyone who is passionate about improving the standard of education in Africa.  Now in its 7th year, it remains Africa’s leading educational resources and training event, attracting more education professionals than any other event.

Career Indaba event dates and times:

Thursday, 20 June:  09:30 – 18:30 Career Indaba Expo open
Friday, 21 June:  09:00 – 17:00 Career Indaba Expo open
Saturday, 22 June:  09:00 – 17:00 Career Indaba Expo open

African Education Week dates and times:
Wednesday, 19 June:  Pre-conference workshops
Thursday, 20 June:  Opening keynote session, Learning Expo opens
Friday, 21 June:  Conference sessions, Learning Expo open
Saturday, 22 June:  Learning Expo open, Post conference workshops
Location:  Sandton Convention Centre, South Africa

Websites:  www.careerindaba.co.za ; www.educationweek.co.za ; www.boston.co.za

Article issued by Career Indaba