[dropcap]M[/dropcap]ore than 300 guests made Monday night’s Jobs for Youth Night at Wests Leagues Club a huge success.
Hosted by MWLP Linking Youth, the aim of the night was to link young people to careers, with a focus on apprenticeships and traineeships.
This is how Adam Farmer, employment services manager at My Gateway saw the night:
“The event was a huge success,’’ Mr Farmer said.
“We loved meeting so many great parents and young people, all of them hungry for information about the great careers that start with an apprenticeship or traineeship as opposed to university.
“Many parents were surprised to learn that apprentices and trainees get paid a wage, get paid to go to TAFE and that My Gateway pays their student fees, so they’re not saddled with crippling student debts when they finish.
“We expect to hire about 200 apprentices and trainees over the next 12 months, so it was great for us to meet all those eager young kids that we hope to hire when they finish their schooling.”
Also impressed with the impact of the Youth Night were students who attended it.
They included Lucas Chown, who is in Year 10 at St Gregory’s College.
Lucas, who is interested in an apprenticeship in plumbing, headed straight to the Master Builders Association and TABMA stalls in the packed Wests auditorium.
“This is really great,’’ Lucas said afterwards.
“We wouldn’t have known where to go to find out all this information.
“Dad did a pre-apprenticeship in 1982 and then got into fitting and machining and is happy for me to go down this path.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“I don’t want to stay on after I complete Year 10 – I want to be out working and contributing.”[/social_quote]
Marco Carvalho, Year 10 at Elderslie High School, said he was there to find out a little more about becoming an electrician.
He and dad Fernando commented: “This is really good. There are so many opportunities and lots of information.
“There is more out there than we thought.”
Another participant was the NSW Department of Education and Training Services NSW who were there to highlight School Based Traineeships and Apprenticeships (SBATs).
Judging by the number of people queueing for information at their stall, this was very popular.
Suzanne Taylor, from the Glenfield office, said: “A multitude of interested parents and students attended the MWLP Apprenticeship and Traineeship Night eager to discover more about School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SBATs).
“The evening provided a great opportunity for Department of Education staff to talk to families, explaining how paid work and training can combine to allow students to take a step towards their chosen career while completing the Higher School Certificate.”
Mila Lukic from Superior Training Centre summed up the night:
“I was overwhelmed with the interest,’’ Mila said.
“It was awesome. Lots of connections. Very focused group. Excellent results. Very happy.”
Thanks for your support of our work and our young people.
Thanks, it is a valuable process for the younger crew who are about to enter a rewarding career opportunity as an apprentice. ??