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27 August 2019

Coliban Water is hosting 25 young people on Wednesday as part of The Smith Family’s Workplace Inspiration Program.

Coliban Water General Manager People and Safety Gretel Bowman-Farr said the program is an employer-led initiative that allows young people to experience the world of work first hand in a meaningful way.

“It’s a fun and interactive day that demonstrates the different ways careers actually happen. It’s a simple yet powerful way to show young people the skills, beliefs and attitudes they need to navigate a successful career,” Ms Bowman-Farr said.

According to The Smith Family, youth unemployment is around 17 percent nationally and more than double this figure in disadvantaged communities.

Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds often lack the support, encouragement and aspirations to explore their future career possibilities. The program aims to build career knowledge and broaden the participants’ perspective on careers available to them.

“We have created a meaningful program for the students to participate in, including interactive workshops and activities designed to show the various careers available at Coliban Water,” Ms Bowman-Farr said.

During the day students will interview staff members about their career journey from their teenage years to today. They will then create a career board and deliver a short presentation about what they have learned.

The vision of the program is to allow school students to understand how people got to their current position and allow staff to tell their career story in an inspiring way.

“We’re hoping we can help these students transition from study to employment by demonstrating that careers are not always linear and there is a whole range of ways to get from point A to point B.

“At Coliban Water we have many departments with many roles ranging from engineers to computer technicians, human resources to communications. These are some roles students may not even realise exist, and they can be done right here in Bendigo,” Ms Bowman-Farr said.

The Smith Family is encouraging innovative employers to develop these career engagement activities or insights as part of the Work Inspiration Program that allow students to explore career journeys, connect with the business and meet and talk to staff.

For more information on the program please visit the Smith Family website.

Last updated on 27 Aug 2019
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