Careers festival shapes up

A planned annual event aimed at raising awareness of career opportunities and skill needs in Otago continues to move forward.

The Otago Careers Festival, which is being produced by a festival steering group in conjunction with the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs, is scheduled to take place throughout the month of May.

The steering group, which is made up of industry organisations, government agencies, business associations, educational institutions, career advisers and local authorities, received a $35,000 grant from the Otago Community Trust in December and recently appointed a festival co-ordinator, Victoria Bunton, to help bring the festival to fruition.

‘‘I believe the timing of the event is extremely relevant to the current economic climate as now is a more important time than any for people to be thinking about their career path,'' Ms Bunton said.

Ms Bunton said the careers festival would host more than 60 events throughout Otago and would emphasise the value of workforce development to Otago employers as well as help individuals gain a wider understanding of what a career actually was.

Established career events which have already expressed an interest in being associated with the festival include the annual Coca-Cola Careers Expo, Otago Polytechnic Open Days, and the University of Otago Open Days.

‘‘The festival will take an any age, any stage approach and is not just targeted at secondary school students and school leavers,'' Ms Bunton said.

‘‘Events will focus on a wide range of groups including people in work, job seekers, employers, those returning to the workforce and migrants.''

It was hoped the Otago Careers Festival would benefit the Otago community by helping jobseekers find new opportunities for employment, help employers find employees, give parents and caregivers new information on opportunities available for their children and create and strengthen networks.

Otago Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive John Christie said the chamber was pleased to be able to support the Otago Careers Festival.

‘‘The festival is a great way to showcase the opportunities that are available within the local community and to promote new employment opportunities,'' he said.

‘‘It also gives local employers the opportunity to promote their industry.''