By Denira Gounden

For learners approaching the end of their schooling journey, choosing what comes next can be daunting. At Mokgareng High School, however, a career exhibition brought those choices closer, connecting learners with organisations that could help turn their ambitions into education, training and career opportunities.

The National Skills Fund (NSF) participated in the Mokgareng High School Career Exhibition, hosted by Services SETA, where learners and parents were introduced to opportunities available within South Africa’s Post-School Education and Training (PSET) system.

The exhibition brought together organisations from across the skills-development sector to provide career guidance, information on further education and training, and practical advice on the pathways learners can pursue after completing school.

For the NSF, the engagement provided an opportunity to introduce potential beneficiaries to the Fund’s role in supporting skills development and to explain how its funding contributes towards scholarships, bursaries and other interventions implemented through strategic partners.

NSF Public Relations and Communications officials engaged directly with learners, distributed information material and explained the different opportunities supported through the Fund.

Where you start does not determine where you finish

A central message throughout the exhibition was that a learner’s present circumstances should not define their future.

Services SETA encouraged learners to recognise that “where you are doesn’t determine where you’re going”, urging them to remain focused on their education and take responsibility for shaping their futures.

Learners were exposed to career possibilities extending across different industries and professions, including medicine, aviation, makeup and sound engineering. The variety of questions raised by learners demonstrated their interest in understanding both traditional and emerging career pathways.

The exhibition also encouraged learners to think beyond simply choosing a profession by considering the educational and training pathways required to reach their career goals.

NSF brings funding information closer to potential beneficiaries

During its engagement with learners, the NSF explained its mandate and the role it plays through partnerships that support access to skills-development opportunities.

Learners were encouraged to remain committed to their studies and recognise the wider impact that education can have beyond individual achievement.

“Concentrate on your studies and keep focusing on higher education because it will not only help you but also your communities,” learners were told during the NSF engagement.

The NSF also provided information about financial support available through funded interventions, explaining that “the NSF provides funding for scholarships and bursaries, which students can apply for through the relevant websites.”

Providing this information directly to learners is particularly important because awareness can be the first step towards accessing an opportunity. Young people need not only to know that education and training opportunities exist, but also where to obtain reliable information and how to pursue the appropriate pathways.

Turning career information into possibility

The Mokgareng High School Career Exhibition demonstrated the value of bringing the PSET system directly to learners while they are still making decisions about their futures.

For parents, the engagement provided an opportunity to better understand the education, training and funding pathways their children could pursue. For learners, it provided direct access to organisations capable of helping them navigate their next steps.

Career exhibitions therefore serve a purpose beyond displaying different professions. They can help bridge the information gap between young people and the opportunities available to them.

By participating in initiatives of this nature, the NSF continues to strengthen awareness of skills-development opportunities and connect potential beneficiaries with information that can help them make informed decisions about their futures.