Visual Connections & ASGA showcase signage at Careers Expos

Careers expos have kicked off around the country, and the Visual Connections / ASGA Education Initiative is showcasing print, sign and display for students looking at their career options and further education.

Last week saw a steady stream of students attend the Adelaide Careers & Employment Expo at the Adelaide Showground, with the Australian Schools Industry Partnership (AusSIP) reporting that the interest in industry careers was high, with students seeking more information about apprenticeships and industry training.

“It was great to see the level of interest from students and their parents in the range of careers and training opportunities available in the sign and graphics sector, with many of those who visited our stand expressing pleasant surprise at the range of options available in real careers and the opportunity for work experience,” AusSIP commented.

“In partnership with the local TAFEs, we have already been able to connect some of these young people directly with the trainers and are working our way through many more enquiries to ensure we capitalise on the interest generated.”

Melbourne is next, with the Victorian Careers Show 2023 at the Melbourne Showgrounds Ascot Vale from Wednesday 18 – Friday, May 20. This will be followed by the Brisbane Careers & Employment Expo at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from 26-27 May, the Western Sydney Careers Expo 2023 at The Dome, Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park from 22-24 June, and finally the SkillsWest Careers & Employment Expo at the Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre from 27-29 July.

AusSIP says interest is expected to be particularly high in Sydney in June, with the team expecting to see return visits from many of the students who visited Visual Impact Sydney to ‘Try-A-Trade’ recently.

“We know that many of the students who gained some ‘hands-on’ experience in a range of activities at Visual Impact are keen to find out more, and we’ve been fielding a lot of enquiries in the lead-up to the Careers Expos,” AusSIP says.

“Visual Impact provided a great platform for students and teachers to see just how diverse and exciting the industry is, and as always, we saw great interest, particularly from those with a creative or technical aptitude. We expect to see a number of those at the Careers Expo, as well as many others who may be seeing the industry on show for the very first time.”

Mick Harrold, President of ASGA, which is partnering with Visual Connections on this education initiative, says the Careers Expos will be followed by opportunities for students to connect with their local TAFEs and get out into the industry for a more in-depth hands-on look at what sign and display businesses do in practice.

“There is no more vital issue to the future of our industry than attracting, training and retaining good talent,” Harrold says.

“We know our sector offers many advantages and can absolutely become an ‘employer of choice’ for aspiring young people, but we need a strong and reliable model of outreach and education to ensure we capture their interest and can direct them to appropriate training and apprenticeships.

“The success of our pre-pandemic pilot program in New South Wales in 2019 provided proof of concept, delivering not only an increased number of sign and display apprentices that year but also encouraging more girls to take up the trades.

“We are proud to be partnering with Visual Connections to continue this important initiative to create awareness of and interest in careers in signage, display, wide-format print and the wider graphics sector, and to be working with AusSIP, TAFEs and other RTOs around the country to help young people equip themselves for a career in our exciting and dynamic sector.”

The Sponsors of the initiative are Amari Visual Solutions, Ball & Doggett, Cactus Imaging, Fujifilm Graphic Systems, Graphic Art Mart, Mulford Plastics, ORAFOL, Pozitive Sign & Graphic Supplies, Sign-a-Rama, Starleaton and Visual Connections.