Rocking Future has wrapped its career expo for the year in Springs with Hoërskool Johan Jurgens matric learners on May 5.

The expo was attended by various institutions, including Richfield College, Rosebank College, South African College of Applied Psychology (SACAP), au pair career experts OVU and more.

The learners from the school, Thandeka Hlabangani and Buhle Mtsweni, shared their experience and insights from the expo with the Springs Advertiser.

Hlabangani said that what stood out was how colleges handle applications and what is required of her as an applicant.

She said that from the expo, she learned that there are institutions that help in securing work while studying in the chosen field.

She also highlighted the importance of career expos for matrics to gain insight into the study options available after high school and to understand which career is suited to them.

“I would like for my classmates to know that even if you are not accepted into a university, there are colleges that you can engage with in choosing a career, and you don’t really have to do it in university to qualify and to get a stable job,” said Hlabangani.

She advised their lower-grade students to study harder to broaden their career opportunities and to choose a career they want, not one based on their friendships.

Mtsweni noted that matriculants are not informed about the kinds of opportunities and tools they have, and the expo highlights those opportunities.

She hoped to find an expo that would help her get into a school that would cater to her needs, as she aspires to be in teaching or the arts.

“Public universities are obviously a first choice for everyone and we don’t necessarily look into what they provide, do they cater to student accommodations and whether we can use our qualifications internationally?

“So with these kinds of schools, it’s important for them to come and to listen to us so that we know the kinds of things that we need and that they’re going to help us.”

Rocking Future’s spokesperson, Vicky Saunders-Flaherty, said that the aim of the expos is to guide young people as they navigate life after matric.

“Our mission is to educate, motivate and inspire. We want the youth to make the right choice for themselves when deciding on a direction and a place to study after matric.

“It is such a big choice to make very early in your life and a lot of students are very confused about what to study and where they can do it. They are also not always aware that there are options other than the universities,” she said.

Saunders-Flaherty also pointed to gaps in how schools prepare learners for life after matric.

“A lot of schools still teach learners that they need a university degree. We need schools to promote alternative, private education.

“The qualifications are the same, if not a little better, than their equivalent at the state universities, with the benefits of smaller classes and in-industry lecturers,” she said.

Rocking Future has an online counterpart called Swiwel.com. 3RC ensures learners from smaller and under-resourced communities still receive meaningful guidance by consistently running targeted digital awareness campaigns and making the platform easily accessible online.

For learners who feel overwhelmed about their future, she encouraged self-reflection and the use of available tools.

“Take some time to figure out what your strengths are. On Swiwel.com, we have free aptitude tests that can help with that. Once you know where your strengths lie, you can make more informed decisions,” she said.

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