My Future Fest 2019: a major success!

Whether you wanted to be a doctor or an engineer, a pilot, sound technician or a social worker, young people who attended My Future Fest in Grafton on Tuesday 20 August were treated to a smorgasbord of choice and shown a range of different pathways available to them.

My Future Fest was the brainchild of local employment and training provider, Enterprise & Training Company (ETC) who joined forces with Clarence Valley Council and TAFE NSW – Grafton to host the event – the second of its kind since the inagural event held back in 2017.

ETC spokesperson, CEO Jenny Barnett, said that organisers had hailed My Future Fest a huge success.

“We are absolutely thrilled with how the event unfolded. We wanted to show local Clarence Valley youth the range of positive pathways available to them and I believe we achieved that,” Mrs Barnett said.

“The response from local providers in training, employment, health and community services as well as employers has been simply tremendous, and the local youth really embraced the day – we couldn’t be happier!”

The festival program featured a range of interactive activities, practical workshops, Q&A’s with exhibitors, guest speaker presentations, live music and performances which attracted the participation of hundreds of students and young people.

Close to 30 stall holders took part, providing insight into the options available in Northern NSW. Groups included Southern Cross, Bond and Country Universities Centres, TAFE and other training providers, recruitment agencies, health and community service providers, government departments, along with a range of local employers.

Local Aboriginal Elder Uncle Roger Durox provided a Welcome to Country to kick off the event, following a presentation by Australia’s #1 Youth Motivational Speaker and Teen Coach Nathan Hulls. Five local Rotary volunteers cooked up a delicious lunch for all involved, with TAFE Hospitality Students also helping with the morning tea.

Students were full of praise for the event and had this to say:

• “Nathan’s presentation was very inspiring”
• “The people who organised the event were very helpful”
• “I really enjoyed the Stations provided (Strengths, Resume, Interview)”
• “I feel motivated!”
• “It was great to meet new people and see different career paths”
• “I enjoyed the feeling of being apart of a great community”
• “Great atmosphere, super friendly volunteers, great food and variety of stallholders”
• “The music was great”

Media Coverage

NBN News: https://www.nbnnews.com.au/2019/08/20/my-future-fest-for-grafton/

Daily Examiner: https://www.dailyexaminer.com.au/news/my-future-fest-sets-youth-up-for-the-workforce/3810479/

Photographs of the event: https://www.facebook.com/pg/myfuturefest/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1267924973356866