I saw a sign yesterday saying 11 weeks till Christmas. It’s only 6 weeks to Schoolies, when around 1500 students in the Fitzroy region will finish their secondary schooling. Quite a few will go on to university or vocational training but many will be seeking full time employment.
In the Fitzroy region it has been identified that 31% of employers will only use informal methods to fill positions. No advertising in the paper, on Seek or through a recruitment agency; but methods that include waiting to being approached by a job seeker.
The same report highlighted that the employability skills employers considered most essential were interpersonal skills, communication and teamwork.
C2C is not practice job interviews or career information lectures. Communication to Careers is a series of short conversations between students and business people.
40 local Year 12 students are this morning getting a chance to demonstrate, practice and receive tips from business people on interpersonal and communication skills by having a series of short conversations with business people.
Nearly 80 students wanted to attend today’s C2C. In the interest of maximum benefit it was agreed to just involve the year 12 students; as close to a one to one conversation being the desired student to business person ratio. Year 11 students will get their opportunity next year.
The opportunity can only occur through the willingness of the Rockhampton business community to support C2C.
C2C is 100% volunteer driven; from the organisers, schools participating and those business people who attend. There is no funding for the initiative; an initiative that provides students more confidence to approach prospective employers.
On behalf of the C2C organisers thank you to the business people who attend today and during the year.
While difficult to measure by how much, you’ve made a positive difference to the students you’ve conversed with and helped them improve their chances of employability by allowing them the opportunity to refine their interpersonal and communication skills.
It is hoped that you can again give your time next year. We already have 40 students keen to meet and converse with you.
If you like to know more about C2C visit www.ring.org.au/c2c.