Hundreds of Grade 11 and Grade 12 students from across the Hardap region gathered in Mariental on Wednesday for the region's first career fair, aimed at helping learners make informed decisions about their future careers.
Held under the theme "Transform Your Career: Work Toward a Future of Excellence and Equal Opportunity", the event brings together tertiary institutions, vocational training centres, government offices and private sector organisations to showcase education and career opportunities.
Officially opening the fair, Hardap Governor Riaan McNab said career guidance is one of the most important investments government can make in young people.
McNab encouraged learners to engage with exhibitors and gather information on study programmes, bursaries and career pathways.
"We are bringing together all the institutions that are available, UNAM, vocational training centres, and our different directorates of education; we bring them together, and we empower our students now that are pursuing their careers in tertiary institutions, the different paths that they can go into. Whether they become a doctor, a scientist, an engineer, or a teacher, they will be fully empowered by this two- or three-day career fair."
Regional Director of Education for Hardap, Paulus Lewin, urged learners not to allow their backgrounds to define their future, describing education as the greatest equaliser.
"I want to see people coming out of poverty and becoming the best that they ever could become. Honourable Minnie, you see, when I see him, he makes me feel just as young as he is. That's the energy that is displayed and also the passion that they have."
The Mariental local authority councillor is William Minnie.
"A career, then, is not simply about choosing a profession. It is about discovering your purpose. It's about your dignity, and it is about service. Because work is more than a pay cheque. You know, there are some people who view employment as you simply go delivering your service, receiving your remuneration, and then it's finished. It's not like that. Because meaningful work enables people to support families, it builds communities, participates in democracy, and allows them to live lives of dignity."