Moves to stage an Otago-wide careers month next May are gathering momentum, after a meeting hosted by the Community Trust of Otago in Dunedin yesterday.
About 25 people, including business and school representatives, Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin and trust chief executive Keith Elwood, attended the "Skills for You, Skills for Otago" briefing.
A working group had earlier been considering how the region could work together to raise awareness of Otago's skill needs and the "huge range of career opportunities available to individuals" after labour market concerns had been raised at a meeting in November 2006, organisers said.
Mike Waddell, chairman of the group, outlined some of its thinking and introduced Ross Jones, the Career Services Waikato regional manager, who outlined a successful Skills for Waikato careers awareness month held in Hamilton and the surrounding region in May this year.
Waikato events had included open days held by several employers, which had enabled school pupils and other prospective employees to visit their premises and learn more about career options.
Mr Waddell said a successful Careers Expo and a Tertiary Open Day, involving the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic, were already held in Dunedin each May, but there was scope to get employers more involved in a wider regional careers awareness month.
Yesterday's meeting had proved "very positive" and efforts would be made celebrate more fully the career opportunities, including information technology jobs, available in Dunedin and Otago.
"What this is about is Otago helping Otago."
