There’s a world of opportunities out there for students planning their future career, they just need to know where to find them.

Students from across north-east Victoria were given a helping hand in doing just that on Thursday, August 14.

The NE Tracks LLEN Hands on Trades Career Expo 2025 featured 60 exhibitors aiming to inspire more than 1700 students from 38 schools to find a career pathway that was perfect for them.

There were fun experiences and activities to engage in. Including tree climbing with North East Tree Services, operating state-of-the-art CFA equipment, truck-driving and helicopter piloting simulators and much more.

Winton Motor Raceway was the backdrop of the event, which saw students visit different exhibitors, taking away information and literature to help guide them.

One of those exhibitors was North East Tree Services. Co-owner Gail Williams said an event such as this was not only great for students, often exhibitors found new trainees and apprentices.

“We’ve taken on apprentices we’ve met at the Hands on (Trades Career) Expo,” she said.

“And it also allows us to promote the industry itself. A lot of people might know about arboriculture, but don’t know the opportunities that are out there.

“It’s not just what we do, as in caring for the trees, but there’s also a lot of other areas and opportunities.

“If they’re not physical, there’s always other sides of it and roles in the office.

“Events like this are good to show there are other trades than electricians or plumbers.

“If there’s 10 kids in one school that all want to be electricians, there might not be 10 apprenticeships out there.”

NE Tracks LLEN chief executive Tim Oliver said the expo was all about career pathways and showing students where the local jobs and careers were.

“We’re connecting with all types of industries and volunteer groups like the CFA and the SES, helping students build capacity as they come into the workforce,” he said.

“The students connect with employers here today, have a hands-on experience, and do a few things with them.

“Then we follow through, taking groups of students to visit the employers at their place of work, and the students get a chance to see a full range of the activities that go on.

“Then when they’re ready for work experience, they’ve got a good idea about what happens in the different businesses.

“A number of students who come to the event, will then do a visit, do a placement, and can be offered ... part-time work, particularly in hospitality.

“Or they might do a school-based apprenticeship or a traineeship, and that leads them into a local trade.”

Mr Oliver said it was all about providing opportunity.

“Our gold sponsor is GOTAFE,” he said.

“We position the GOTAFE trainers in different training units with industry.

“So students get to have their hands-on activity, and then they can talk to the trainers about pathway through GOTAFE and which units can take them into those careers.”

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