(rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

next generation

High schoolers explore future options at RDC career expo

May 2, 2019 | 2:25 PM

Close to 4,000 students flocked to the CAREERexpo at Red Deer College on Thursday.

Hosted by CAREERS: The Next Generation, the event brought high school students, employers, and post-secondary institutions together for a day of networking.

Andy Neigel, president and CEO of CAREERS: The Next Generation, pointed out that the opportunities for students are endless.

“The jobs are changing, the career paths are changing, but there are a whole bunch of opportunities, and technology is really driving a lot of that,” he said. “It’s moving from pulling so many wrenches, to pulling wrenches with a laptop. We can’t forget we’re all getting older and we’ll need young people to come fill in the gap.”

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A premier partner of the event was Olds College, whose Associate VP, Students and Registrar, Peter Mal said central Albertans are very lucky to have two leading institutions in the region.

“We (and RDC) are very different schools. We’re very excited at Olds College to become Canada’s smart agricultural college, and for us that means introducing programs like a two-year diploma in Precision Agricultural – Techgronomy, as well as a post-diploma certificate in Agriculture Technology Integration,” said Mal.

“These are programs that are really going to equip the next generation to respond to a changing and growing agricultural industry.”

Meantime, Red Deer College president and CEO Joel Ward, who is set to retire later this year, has observed a shift in student attitudes over more than a decade of this expo.

“Students have different expectations now of the type of institution they’d like to attend. They’re very much interested in what we’re doing for the environment, what we’re doing in our institution to be net zero or reduce our carbon footprint,” he said.

“With our 4100 solar panels and five-year plan to be right off the grid, we have a powerful message to students that says we are all about sustainability, the environment and preventing climate change.”

Ward says 10 years ago, students were more focused on which career was well-paying, as opposed to 2019 where students have a desire to choose a career in which they can make a difference in the world.

More information on CAREERS: The Next Generation, its RAP program and the camps it holds is at CareersNextGen.ca.