The Rocking Future Career Expo opened the eyes of St Francis College matrics to a wide range of opportunities, highlighting that tertiary education does not always have to follow the traditional university route.

More than 80 learners packed the school hall on March 8 as institutions such as Eduvos, AFDA and AAA School of Advertising showcased their programmes and training options. For many students, the expo proved to be an eye-opening experience, introducing them to career paths they admitted they had never known existed.

“There’s more to tertiary education,” said Siphiwekuhle Thanjekwayo.

“There are things that you can pursue like cabin crew, music and dance. You don’t necessarily have to go to the University of the Witwatersrand. Even the courses you want to do at the big public universities are offered at these colleges. The advantage is smaller classes and more attention.”

Referring to the importance of the expo, Thanjekwayo added that it helps learners plan for their futures.

“It helps us plan so that we know exactly what we should pursue. They have exposed us to the different kinds of tertiary institutions available in the country.”

Although Lwandle Malefane is still deciding between pursuing a degree in information technology or a BCom in accounting, he said the experience broadened his perspective on the many career options available.

“I’m currently in a dilemma. I’m debating with myself whether I should choose IT or BCom accounting. Just from this experience and the versatility of these colleges in terms of their programmes, you can see which courses you can pursue,” he said.

Katlego Masemola expressed gratitude to the organisers of the expo, 3RC, for what she described as “a really good experience”.

“I want to thank 3RC for this because many of us never knew about the majority of the institutions here. They gave us exposure to what options are available. It’s a really good experience to know that there are various career paths to follow. You don’t always have to go to UCT. You have other options that offer the same experience,” she said.

Explaining the idea behind the expo, Boris Petrenko said the aim is to give learners a platform to explore the many career opportunities available to them.

“Think back to when you were in matric. Maybe you knew what you wanted to study, maybe you didn’t. Even if you did, there are different options available out there.

“The institutions here offer unique programmes like becoming an artisan, as well as fields such as Lego robotics and artificial intelligence. They are very interesting areas to get into. The Rocking Future Expo gives learners a platform and an idea of what they can study further,” said Petrenko.

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