ITOs Create Trade Careers Hub at Careers Expos
Monday 31 March 2014, 4:34PM
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A group of Industry Training Organisations will exhibit at this year’s popular Careers Expos.
Promoting trade career opportunities to the 35,000 students and young adults attending at the annual Careers Expo events, five Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) will team up to create an interactive and engaging hub.
This year the Careers Expo and ITOs are launching a new exhibition space with the aim to create an engaging platform to communicate the diversity of job opportunities available and the importance of trades in the New Zealand economy.
“We really want school leavers to identify the benefits of earning while they’re learning, with the possibility of working towards their own business. We will be showcasing many trade career options and providing tips for getting trade apprenticeships. The Careers Expos provide a great face to face opportunity to get these messages across.” explains Rachel Hopkins from ITO Competenz.
Five ITOs have committed to exhibiting together, showcasing their industries within a newly developed trade hub. The hub will be staffed by members of the ITOs and host a series of interactive demonstrations by tradespeople. ITOs exhibiting within the hub at the Expos include Competenz, The Skills Organisation, BCITO the Building and Construction ITO, the Hair and Beauty ITO and the soon to be renamed Infrastructure ITO.
The Primary ITO for rural primary sectors and will be also exhibit alongside others from their sector such as Dairy NZ and Young Farmers, outside of the hub but fitting into a refreshed layout launched last year. The new layout arranges industry organisations, training providers and employers in five zones relating to their sectors, in line with the Ministry of Education’s Vocational Pathways program.
The inclusion of more ITOs is welcomed by the Careers Expo’s director Mark Gillard “It is vitally important the industry sectors are well represented at the events. We know it will be welcomed and supported by employers, additionally career advisers in secondary schools are also very positive.”
“We have immensely strong relationships with universities, tertiary training providers and a growing number of large employers see the strategic HR opportunity to engage proactively, encouraging a healthy talent pipeline for their industry.”
The Careers Expos are open to the public with exhibitors including employers, universities, tertiary institutes, training providers and government agencies and ITOs. The four events in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Hamilton start in early May and are the largest events of their kind in New Zealand.