Learners in the Karoo village of Murraysburg got exposure to hundreds of different agricultural and other careers showcased at an exciting expo hosted by the Western Cape department of agriculture.
The two-day event, held at Murraysburg Primary School, concludes this afternoon. In attendance are 15 exhibitors, including Food For Mzansi, the publication behind an agricultural careers portal for learners nationwide.
Nombulelo Du Plessis, a teacher, says that in her five years of teaching in Murraysburg this was the first career expo the school has ever had. She explains that the community needed an expo like this.
“It is going to help the community so much. It will show them that they do not need to be scared about the future because there are opportunities.
“Even if their parents are not able to assist them financially, they now know that things like bursaries exist.”
Besides Food For Mzansi, primary and high school learners alike have an opportunity to engage with exhibitors such as the University of the Western Cape, the International Hotel School, AFDA and the South African Police Service.
A grade 7 learner, Quinton Blom, could not contain his excitement in the exhibition hall. He tells Food For Mzansi that he learned so much and simply cannot believe that there were so many careers that he did not know existed.
“There are a total of 110 jobs within Murraysburg so the career options are very limited,” explains Mary James, the head of communications at the Western Cape department of agriculture.
“We wanted to empower the community and show them different career opportunities and make them a bit more self-sufficient and help them develop different skills.”
Today learners can also look forward to a cultural show and a visit by Dr Ivan Meyer, the Western Cape minister of agriculture.
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