Young people were central to the design process.
Kianni and Eden, the NYEB’s Youth Advisory Board member from Logan, designed the marketing materials, including the event Passport and QR codes. Additionally, young people from Transition to Work (TtW) helped develop the survey questions to ensure we captured meaningful feedback for future festivals.
The event opened with a powerful Acknowledgement of Country by Sophia, a young First Nations person from the Gold Coast Youth Service, who spoke and sang alongside Dave on the yidaki.
What young people want – and need – was catered for with plenty of pizza, fruit and water, and a quieter breakout space to recharge and connect.
Hands-on career experiences included:
- 🚑 Ambulance Queensland CPR lessons
- 🔧 Trade tasters: plastering, soldering, carpentry
- 🚌 A full-sized bus for a sneak peek into Transport careers
- 🥽 VR welding simulations
- 💅 A nail technician giving demonstrations
- 🍔 Hungry Jacks burger-wrapping competition
- A game board supplied by the City of Gold Coast.
And the highlight? Stall Bingo!
Designed to spark real conversations with exhibitors, this device to encourage attendees to visit as many stalls as possible worked brilliantly — with young people engaging with the stalls for their shot at the $200 prize.
Building Exhibitor Capability
The event hosted a wide range of exhibitors across industries including construction, hospitality, trades, and healthcare.
To prepare the 32 exhibitors, the CIC held a briefing the week prior to ensure they understood how to best engage with young people, including those who may have had previous negative experiences with education or training systems. The briefing was aimed at addressing negative stereotypes of young people and encouraging employers to be proactive in engaging attendees.
Promotion
The event was promoted through the Gold Coast Youth Employment Body’s network, TtW providers, Link’n Launch officers, and Youth Support Coordinators. They specifically engaged Special Assistance Schools, such as MOB Academy, Arcadia, and BUSY Schools, rather than general schools, to reach those who would benefit most from these connections.
