Whilst our Cairns team were busy preparing the fleet to go to sea for Tiger prawn season 2023, Lesley and Ash headed to the Northern Rivers Career Expo in Lismore, NSW for the Austral Academy’s second last careers expo for the year.
Austral Academy Cadet Update
Fresh off the back of his 18th birthday celebrations, new Austral Academy cadet, Harry (pictured middle below), has been busy learning the ropes of his vessel and assisting pre-departure preparations for his first commercial fishing season.
By all accounts, he has settled into life at sea with his new crew well. Wishing Harry and all the crew in the Northern Prawn Fishery fleet all the best for the 2023 tiger prawn season!
Northern Rivers Career Expo
With NSW’s Northern Rivers having a rich maritime and fishing history and many of our long-term crew hailing from the nearby coastal towns, the team were excited about the prospect of finding Austral’s next generation of crew.
Run by not-for-profit organisation, Connect Northern Rivers, the event “brought together students, parents, members of the community, professionals, and industry experts for a day of career insights, interactive workshops, and networking. The impact on the community was remarkable, with attendees gaining clarity and confidence in their career paths”. The day started off a bit chilly and rainy but luckily the sun came out, and it was a great day of career exploration for all.
“The bustling expo which was attended by parents, teachers, and curious children, brilliantly showcased all careers from Agriculture, Science, Navy, and Armed Forces, sparking inspiration in young minds. The interaction with the kids was meaningful and respectful, the event served as hope for future careers,” said Lesley, Chief Operating Officer.
Students participated in cooking competitions, ‘Try a Trade’ activities, musical performances for the 2000+ attendees, virtual reality experiences and, of course, conversations with industry experts about career opportunities and pathways!
“It is now my second time out in country NSW and the sense of community I felt from students, teachers and organisers was very special. Teachers engaged in meaningful conversations to learn more about Austral’s operations, the Austral Academy and career pathways in the industry to ensure they pass the right information on to students and parents. The team at Connect Northern Rivers were clearly invested in their mission to ’empower young people to reach their full potential’ as the event was well organised and engaging. Students approached all conversations with an open mind and asked great questions about what a career with Austral could look like,” said Ash, HR Officer.
We also got to say ‘hello again!’ to a few expo attendees we had previously met at the Brisbane Careers and Employment Expo in May, met some of the local wildlife, Ash tried her hand at flying a virtual helicopter and ran into the cousin of one of our Skippers. It was also great to catch up with a former Marine Engineer, who happened to be in the area!
On the journey home, Lesley and Ash couldn’t resist a snapping a photo with the world’s largest prawn model (aka the Big Prawn) located in the Ballina Bunnings carpark.
August is a busy month for the Academy with the Cairns Career Expo, National Science Week 2023, and a handful of school incursions scheduled. Stay tuned to find out what we get up to!
The Austral Academy seeks to educate parents, teachers, and young people about the many career pathways available in the commercial fishing industry by sharing information about fishing operations and the lifestyle of commercial fishers. If you are interested in discussing what a career at sea could look like for you, contact us today.