The class of 2020 will have quite the story to tell their children.
When they should be rushing between classes, hitting up the library, getting together for study groups, letting off steam in the playground, having some banter at their lockers and getting up to no good at house parties on the weekend, the majority instead are at home.
At what can feel like such an isolating time in some young people’s lives, being literally isolated while you’re finishing school is not what anyone wants. It’s unprecedented. And let’s be honest as no doubt many of them are saying – it sucks.
Never before have a group of year 12 students had to do a large chunk of their HSC outside of school. We can only begin to imagine the stress this is causing some of them. If there wasn’t already enough uncertainty to go with finishing school and working out what you want to do afterwards, doing this without the camaraderie of your school mates by your side in this brave new world of online learning would just pile on the pressure even more.
It’s why now it’s more important than ever that we have new and inventive ways to help school students feel like they’re not alone. It’s why we need to bend the world to fit the shape of their new reality so they can thrive to their utmost potential and come out the other side no worse off than if Coronavirus had never happened. Put simply, an education revolution is needed.
To help, Year13 and YouthSense are hosting Australia’s first ever Digital Careers Expo during National Careers Week, May 18-22. The online event will bring together tens of thousands of high school students, graduates and parents from across the country to engage directly with education, employment and travel providers. Attendees will be able to take in the entire scope of post-school opportunities available to them from their computer or phone without having to leave home.
A week-long comprehensive webinar series with experts and influencers will delve into topics such as passion, resilience, mental health and career insights. Influencers from areas like music, fashion and sport through to business will tell how their own post-school journeys led them to where they are today and they’ll be ready to take all your questions.
Experts from different universities, TAFEs, colleges, employers and travel providers will help attendees understand everything they need to know about their post-school options and the steps that need to be taken in order to get into a career they’re keen on.
Universities, TAFEs, colleges, businesses and organisations will have their own virtual booths that students with their own unique digital profiles can visit and find downloadable course guides, live chats, appointment settings and enquiry forms. It will be just like walking through a traditional careers expo but not.
Our research has found that 43% of high school students don’t know what they want to do after they graduate. About two thirds will end up going to university, however for many new uni students the course they choose isn’t right for them. For others university as a whole isn’t right for them. It’s part of the reason why 20% of first-year university students drop out each year.
This can happen for a variety of reasons, from family and school pressure to enter into a particular course or education pathway, a lack of information about the variety of post-school options available, a lack of insight into what they’re passionate about and their skills and how they can be translated into a career, and societal expectations about what it is to be successful.
Year13 Expo will shine a spotlight on all post-school options so young people can go into their futures confident with the choices they’re making. Most importantly, Year13 Expo will help young people find education and careers which align with their passions, skills and intrinsic motivations so they can flourish with all the life benefits that come with finding meaningful work including mental and physical health.
Our mission is to help youth navigate the transitional period from high school and make better decisions about their future. If your school would like to attend or your university, TAFE, college, business or organisation would like to have its own digital booth then please fill out the short form on this page and we’ll get back to you.
Grab your free copy of our After The ATAR III report for more data and unique insights about Gen Z.
