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Transition to Work is funded by the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (ADHC).

Transport in the northern region of the Central Coast is lacking, especially between the areas of Lake Munmorah to Wyong which is why youthconnections.com.au has decided to open our doors near you. We will be located in the Charmhaven/Lakehaven area (to be announced). Transport may be available to support clients where necessary.

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Richard Cooke goes out with a big bang
28/06/2011

Half-asleep, fingers half-frozen around steering wheels or black coffee, exhibitors, students, careers advisors, space monkeys and Richard Cook found their way to Avondale College for the biggest career event of the year.

And—despite a change of venue—this year’s expo proved to be the finest yet.

This is partly thanks to Avondale’s army: a bunch of students from the College wearing high-vis vests and white smiles. The army were first on traffic patrol, then on trolley patrol, then on set-up patrol, then on meet and greet, then on rubbish collection, then on lunch patrol—they worked hard, they worked tirelessly, they worked for nine hours straight, and the pile of positive feedback at the end of the day was testament to their contribution toward the day’s success.

And it was a success. This year over 200 tables were set up and an estimated 3000 students from the Central Coast stormed the College hall for taste-tests of different career pathways.

The exhibits were diverse, ranging from universities, TAFE and the Central Coast Community College, to the Master Plumbers Association Limited, the NSW Dental Assistant’s Association and Warnervale Air.

Staff representatives from YC’s Transition to Work Program were present, and YC Industry Link also had a stall; Katrina and Nareeda were working hard when I swung past and keeping pepped up on Mentos.

Wayne Bailey, the careers advisor at Terrigal High, said the trek to Avondale was worthwhile for his students. “It gives them the opportunity to explore and ask questions of exhibitors about future careers they might be interested in.”

Richard Cooke, the man behind the machine, said when the students go in person to the Career Pathways Expo, they’re able to experience career possibilities they might never have considered otherwise.

“The best thing about it is that you can actually speak to someone. It can be really eye-opening. You can go on all the websites, but this still might not answer your particular questions.”

However, there were a few other questions that no-one was asking and no-one could answer. Like, will students get this opportunity next year?

Richard announced that this was it. His last expo. That it was time for a break and time to hit the road with the family.

It’s a job he’s been doing since 2001, in his own time and in a voluntary capacity. Over the last ten years, he’s developed a strong rapport with principals, careers advisors and industry. Richard is undoubtedly the lynchpin of the Career Pathways Expo. What will we do without him? Who else has got the spine to pick up this mammoth job? It’ll be a tough gig to throw an expo that bangs as big as 2011.

Thanks to Avondale for the venue—the passwords for the WiFi and the complimentary lunch were unreal—to the army of Avondale College students, the exhibitors and the careers advisors. The latter had spent hours setting up the day before and duly rewarded themselves by making some sizey dents in the cake.

And thankyou Richard. The 2011 expo was professional, glitchless, memorable. We’re gunna miss the colour-coded pegs!

Carwash enterprise a pathway to success

Matthew McCaughey

'Nowhere Matt' has found where he wants to be - in radio. An on-air name he gave himself after following his passion for music and discovering his talent as a presenter, Matt received his nudge toward the microphone from TTW, who placed him in a 5 week work placement at YC Radio. Now he has completed a Presenter's Training Course with CoastFM963, a Certificat in Computer Skills and hosts his own two-hour programme, Indie Rock Cafe, every Monday night on CoastFM963.

Mark Albani

Standing on a production line at a confectionary factory in Sydney, surfaced Mark's desire to get a job outside. He studied construction as a VET subject at school, so TTW arranged multiple construction-based training opportunities including a 5-week bricklaying course with YC Industry Link and a 6-week preparation insulation course with Active Industries. Early this year Mark's acquired skills scored him a traineeship in Constructoin with youthconnections.com.au

Mel Thomas

Mel has a Certificate III in Children's Services (Disability Support) and has started a Cert. III in Business Services, as well as multiple work placements in each industry. She is certainly not afraid to try new things and when TTW suggested trying a few industries until one stuck, Mel was unstoppable. Now she works two days a week as a trainee receptionist at youthconnections.com.au's Transitions programmes based at Gosford and a day at TAFE.

Contact Ashley McGeorge for further details on ph: (02) 4350 2600 or email ashley@youthconnections.com.au