Hundreds of schoolchildren from all over the Cape Peninsula attended a career expo at Air Force Base Ysterplaat at the weekend.
It was arranged by the base and the Department of Social Development.
For once, it was the children and not the teachers asking the questions, as they moved through the dozen or so stands set up by various companies and education institutions.
Micarlo Malan, 28, a volunteer with the City of Cape Town’s high school programme, who directed the event on Saturday April 22, said the expo showed children what options were available to them after leaving school.
Okuhle Blayi, a Grade 10 pupil who came with more than 100 children from Sinenjongo High School in Dunoon, said the expo was very interesting and informative.
With tours of the air field, several pupils were inspired to apply to study at the base and Vuyile Soul, also from Sinenjongo, said he would love to be a pilot “and maybe explore other countries and see the world”.
Zodwa Mbontsi, from the Department of Social Development, said the expo had been held in Dunoon last year.
“There are some great success stories linked to the career expo as many kids don’t actually know where to go,” she said.
“For many it’s not financially possible to go study at university if they don’t have the money, and this shows them the alternatives.
Luvuyo Zulu, a teacher at Sinenjongo, said some of the children had even walked from Dunoon to attend.
“Many didn’t even think of the careers in the fields that they are exposed to today, and we have already arranged for some of the colleges present to come to the school as well to talk to the kids.”
