The 2024 Gold Coast Careers Festival kicks off today and will run again tomorrow at the Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre in Carrara.
The annual event brings the city’s employers, educators, students and career changers together under one roof. This year the festival will profile career opportunities in a diversity of fields such as health, aviation, digital media, fashion, hospitality, super yachts, film, engineering, business, design and defence.
At the event launch earlier in the day Experience Gold Coast CEO John Warn explained why the festival plays such a vital role in the city’s education and employment landscape. “The festival is a showcase for a wealth of opportunity available in our city, from the incredible range of study options to the exciting career positions available right now. Many of those careers didn’t exist when I was starting out and that’s part of what makes the Gold Coast Careers Festival so exciting,” he said.
One of the features this year is the Careers Explorer Zone, where attendees can search every available career option on the Gold Coast through a comprehensive digital database. A team of dedicated career practitioners are also on hand to help guide you in the direction that best suits your interests and needs, providing you with the right advice on how to give yourself the best chance of landing your dream job.
Other highlights include the ADF’s flight simulators and hardware; interactive wildlife engagement with Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary; electric vehicle displays, Griffith University’s Science on the Go!; exhibitor workshops and demonstrations; virtual reality career discovery headsets; and SAE’s instant film star green screen set.
The festival’s main stage features experts, tertiary students and panellists sharing their insights on everything from study experiences and codesigned careers to tips and tricks on succeeding in job interviews. Guest speakers this year include dynamic leadership coach Josh Farr, communications specialist and newly appointed Gold Coast City Councillor Naomi Fowler and entrepreneurial innovator Audun Fiskerud.
This year the festival will operate under a new format with a Thursday evening session catering to mature aged career changes, job seekers, and those who can’t attend during the day.
Experience Gold Coast Executive Director of Education Jennine Tax said: “This session really makes the festival so much more accessible. For families it can be difficult to find an ideal time for them to attend together and this way students can share their experience with their parents while taking the opportunity to discuss career options with educators and industry experts,” she explained.
“Anyone attending the festival during the Thursday evening session will also have the chance to win one of five study support grants worth $1,000, which will be much appreciated by those on a tight budget with the rising cost of living. The grants can be used to supplement a course of study, tuition costs, professional development, tools of the trade, or school fees,” Ms Tax said.
The Koala congratulates Experience Gold Coast on another event that assists students studying in the region.
