Exploring the future at the 2024 Careers Expo
In the rapidly changing world of work, young people will need to continually develop the skills to become their own career managers. With this in mind, over 300 Senior School families and students attended our first College-wide Careers Expo, hosted at our Glen Waverley Campus at the end of March.
Students had the opportunity to speak to representatives from several tertiary institutions about the different courses and study options available, as well as meet Wesley alumni currently working in their fields of interest.
‘We were overwhelmed with the response from parents and students,’ said Alison Wray, Careers Counsellor at Glen Waverley Campus. ‘These days, it’s not about picking ‘the course’ or ‘the career’, but rather, narrowing down the options to a field of interest.’
‘We encourage students to keep an open mind and explore different areas and disciplines. For example, STEM professionals don’t just work in labs; there are also job opportunities at universities, in research, space, medicine, schools, governments, manufacturing, infrastructure and energy.’
For Abi (Year 11), the Careers Expo exceeded her expectations. ‘I got a lot more information than I was expecting and the representatives from each of the universities were helpful and informative,’ she said.
‘I arrived at the Expo unsure about what I want to do in the future,’ said Anita (Year 12). ‘Having alumni there was really valuable, as it provided a different perspective. I’m still not sure what I want to do, but I’m now aware of the different pathways available.’
Abi agreed. ‘I really enjoyed talking to the Wesley alumni because it reassured me that I could change subjects and still stay on track. I also learnt that I’ll have multiple careers throughout my lifetime, so if I don’t know what I’m doing now, it’s okay, I have time to decide.’
The Wesley College community is a wonderful resource, and our students are lucky to have such great support in their career education. We welcomed alumni from industries including Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Architecture and Building, Management and Commerce, Engineering, Information Technology and Creative Arts, just a small sample of the diverse careers our own alumni have taken.
Our heartfelt thanks go to the following Wesley alumni who generously gave their time to share their career journeys with our current cohort:
- Chris Holden (OW1990)
- Chloe Beevers (OW1994)
- Trevor Fleming (OW1994)
- James Hendry (OW1995)
- Tim Wilson (OW1996)
- Ash Cooke (OW1998)
- Alex Webster (OW1999)
- Winnie Wong (OW2001)
- Amy McAlister (OW2003)
- Will Levinge (OW2009)
- Kate Doery (OW2010)
- Gio Fitzpatrick (OW2014)
If you’re interested in participating in any future events, please email owca@welseycollege.edu.au