EDUCATION MATTERS: Career Pathways on Display
By Dr Terry McCarthy, Interim Executive Director of Catholic Education Tasmania
I remember meeting with Marisa Newman back in 2023 when she shared her idea of creating a Career’s Expo. As Project Manager, she had just successfully delivered Project 23 and the extension to Year 12 of St Virgil’s, MacKillop, and St Aloysius Catholic Colleges. Marisa’s idea soon became a reality!
A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of visiting the Southern Catholic College Careers Expo 2026. Around 2,200 students attended the fourth annual expo at MAC 02 on Hobart’s waterfront.
What a great sight it was to see students from Years 9-12 from colleges across Hobart streaming through the city on the way to the Expo venue. They had the opportunity to meet with over 40 different stallholders spanning diverse industries. Now co-organised by Jill Miles and Marisa Newman, the event provides a ‘one-of-a-kind’ opportunity for students to consider their future career paths—especially at such a crucial time in their lives.
I asked Marisa and Jill what they see as the main benefits from the event. They highlighted how students know that their formal schooling is coming to an end and it is time to think about what is next.
Jill explains: “The Expo provides students with the opportunity to learn more about the roles they are interested in, learn about the roles they don’t know much about, or to find something that sparks their curiosity!”
Some very positive outcomes have already been achieved since the inaugural 2023 Expo, with students gaining apprenticeships and commencing programs that they were first exposed to on the day.
“The Expo puts the right people in front of the students so they can form those relationships. This provides a starting point for them; with the chance to explore work experiences and apprenticeships,” Marisa said.
In my conversations with students on the day, a number of them remarked on how good it was to see the broad range of opportunities on offer for the future.
One Year 11 student, Melissa, said, ‘Being able to talk to the stallholders and gain some knowledge about future career possibilities has been so helpful!’
Ben, a Year 12 student, commented, ‘Meeting representatives from different companies and organisations that I hadn’t considered working with before has been a game changer!’
Another student commented on how valuable it was for her to speak with several universities and keep an open mind about future study and work options.
My chats with stallholders revealed more benefits of the Expo that I hadn’t considered. For example, retaining ‘home grown talent’ in the state is a priority for many Tasmanian employers. Another benefit highlighted by stallholders was the improving connection between employers and school careers counsellors.
Perhaps the final word should go to Archbishop Tony Ireland, expressed so beautifully in his homily to Catholic Principals at our CCEL Mass in Devonport recently.
“Sometimes we imagine that holiness belongs only to saints in stained-glass windows. But holiness often looks much more ordinary: a principal greeting students at the gate on a cold Tasmanian morning; a teacher coaching a struggling child; a leader making a difficult decision with integrity; a staff member refusing cynicism and choosing hope instead. Every day God walks through our schools in such moments…”
God’s presence was clearly evident in the gift to our students of the Southern Catholic College Careers Expo. Congratulations to Marisa Newman, Jill Miles and all who contributed to this significant event on our Catholic Education Tasmania calendar.