It's very easy to say you know what a piece of cake tastes like. You've tasted similar looking cakes in the past. You can use your powers of deduction to conclude the textures and flavours. However, until you sink your teeth into a slice, and let the crumbs dissolve into the saliva on your tongue, you will never really be able to say you have experienced the cake or that you truly understand its story.

It's the same with work. To a degree we are all guilty of saying we understand what a person does in their profession, but unless we have walked in their shoes, then all we really know is the images, concoctions and stories we have shaped through our lived experiences and interactions.

So it was with great delight that I witnessed 45 of our Year 10 students engage in work experience in industries such as hospitality, manufacturing and fabrication, engineering, education, health, retail, agriculture and aquaculture. Students were able to have conversations with people in the industry, watch them perform routine tasks and face the challenges of everyday work responsibilities. Equally as encouraging was working with the 16-18 students that attended our 2 day Careers Education Program at school. Students were involved in a range of activities designed to develop their career maturity including conversations with guest speakers, soft skill challenges, resume and job interview analysis and exploration of self.

A Careers Program… two days of your life. Work Experience...five days of your life. Becoming more prepared and confident to enter the world of work.....Priceless. Well done to all our year 10 students for having maturity, curiosity and concern about your futures.

You can see more photos via our Facebook page.

Carly Brouwer — Pathways Coordinator