Ferntree Gully Disability Support Service providing employment opportunities to Knox's Youth
Ferntree Gully disability support service, Interchange Outer East is one of many businsess getting involved in the 2023 Knox Youth Careers Expo.
“We chat with youth about career and study pathways and provide information about disability support work and different employment opportunities within the sector and our organisation,” Pathways Coordinator Kate Stephenson says.
“We can provide a really strong foundation for young people to move into jobs via our volunteer program as they progress through their schooling and further study. We have a lot of school-aged volunteers and young people engaged in our weekend, school holiday and day service programs. We also have people who are completing work placement as part of their Certificate III, Certificate IV, diplomas and Bachelor degrees.
“We sometimes have a chat about different people’s experiences about having a GAP year and what that may look like. We can provide students looking for an alternative pathway to education and not necessarily wanting to go to university with opportunities to do something a bit different and volunteer or undertake placement to try things out before committing to a study or career pathway.”
At last year’s event, which attracted over 100 people, one job seeker lined up two job interviews for the following day and was offered a job by the end of the week.
The expo will also have opportunities for young people and their parents to discuss career pathways, including school based apprenticeships to get a head start on their careers.