Prariewood High School in South Western Sydney held a special Careers Market for its 1,200 students, as well as other students, from surrounding schools on Thursday 4th May.

Most Prariewood students come from a non-english speaking background and the school also offers a selective academic program.

Prariewood’s Careers Advisor Penny Evans, organised the day for the students to engage with industry, local higher education representatives , the defense force and many others. I had the pleasure of talking to two large groups of senior students about the skills (in particular the digital skills) that industry is looking for in young people as they leave the education system and enter the workforce.

The students also had the opportunity to listen to Deepa Cijo from Google. Deepa is a computer scientist and a product specialist at Google. She inspired the students to develop a wide range of skills and think broadly about a future where they are likely to working in multiple careers, many of which are yet to be invented.

Deepa Cijo from Google, Prarierwood Principal Alan Maclean and me.

I’d like, to congratulate Prariewood’s Principal Alan Maclean and his leadership team for supporting the vision that Penny Evans had to put on this day. I know the students gained a lot from the experience.