On Monday 18^th of November 2019, over 150 students from catholic, independent and public schools attended the “Inspiring Careers in Health” event held at St Mary’s in Western Sydney. The event was conducted by the NSW Government’s Regional Industry Education Partnerships (RIEP) initiative in partnership with Inspiring the Future Australia and the Australian Government’s My Skills initiative.

A range of health industry professionals and keynote speakers addressed the students including a careers coach, paramedical services, registered nurses, midwives, mental health professionals and many more.

The students then engaged in an interactive speed networking activity with industry representatives and employers within the health sector who explained who they were, what their job consists of and the path they took to get there. The mentors rotated around each group of students in eight-minute intervals. The personal interactions with the mentors allowed students to feel comfortable in asking questions regarding their individual concerns and queries about careers and pathways in the health industry.

After grabbing lunch, students had the opportunity to visit 16 health industry stalls to obtain career pathway information and to take part in hands-on activities including CPR demonstrations, ambulance vehicle inspections and career quizzes.

The feedback received from the students indicated they found the event informative and enjoyable. Over 96% of the students who attended the event agreed they had obtained a greater understanding about career pathways and training and employment opportunities in the health sector.

Many thanks to all who attended and especially to presenters and event supporters.