Hundreds of Year 5 students from Gympie will discover that their future holds the possibility of many exciting careers and experiences at a special expo on Thursday 21 July.

The Smart Steps: Jobs to Go expo at the University of the Sunshine Coast’s Gympie campus and TAFE East Coast is designed to raise the career aspirations of children aged 10 and 11.

USC's Access and Diversity Co-ordinator Veronica Sanmarco said about 450 students from 14 schools in the Gympie region would gain hands-on experiences in a variety of jobs and professions.

“Research shows that this an optimum age to introduce students to the concept that they have many choices when it comes to deciding what to do when they leave school,” Ms Sanmarco said.

“We want students to aspire to complete Year 12 and to consider tertiary study as a way of greatly improving their career options and chances of success.” 

The practical career development program includes three weeks of classroom activities in the lead-up to the Expo.

“Smart Steps enhances connections between classroom learning with hands-on demonstrations of a diverse range of jobs to inspire a positive attitude toward the qualifications that these roles require,” Ms Sanmarco said.

More than a dozen exhibitors from USC, TAFE and local businesses will attend the expo.

Students will experience some of the duties involved in a number of professions, including nursing, outdoor education, ecology, hair and beauty, journalism, robotics, computer-based design, education and paramedicine.

Smart Steps, now in its fourth year at Gympie, was made possible through funding from the Federal Government’s Higher Education Participation and Partnership Program.

— Clare McKay