Career Shopping; The Secret Of Success 

June 19th, 2009                                                                                                                    Media Release

Hundreds of real jobs, training and education options will be on offer July 11^th and 12th when a collection of Australia’s largest employers, educators and trainers all assemble to give Victorian workers practical advice on how to reinvent their careers. Adults can literally go career shopping. 

Managing Director of reinventyourcareer.com.au, Nicholas Ricciuti says “With the current economic marketplace heightening career insecurity and career change as a reality, thousands of employed and previously employed skilled workers are now open to new possibilities like never before.” 

Skills and Workforce Participation Minister Jacinta Allan urged jobseekers to take advantage of recent changes to the Victorian training system and develop their skills.

“The Brumby Labor Government has introduced major reforms to the state skills system to ensure Victorians are able to access the training they need to secure the job they want, in the course and with provider of their choice,” Ms Allan said. 

“Through the $316 million Securing Jobs for Your Future reform package we are establishing the Victorian Training Guarantee, an entitlement that Victorians can access at any stage of their lives. 

“The Guarantee ensures a government-subsidised training place for all eligible Victorians, whether at TAFE, an Adult and Community Education centre or a private registered training organisation.”

Mr Ricciuti states, “Marsha Thomson MLA, Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Trade will officially open the event. The Reinvent Your Career Expo has doubled in size this year, showing the growth in the market place over the past year towards adult workers who are looking to upgrade, re-skill, re-enter the workforce or totally reinvent their careers.”  

“Employers are keenly aware that the average working Australian is now aged 37, approximately 260,000 Australians turn 60 this year (the largest amount ever) and that by the year 2016, people aged 45 and over will have to account for more than 80% of growth in Australia's labour force.” [i] 

Commodore (CDRE) Tim Barrett, the Director General of Defence Force Recruiting, said that there were more than 200 different job opportunities within the Navy, Army and Air Force for people looking at a career change. “It’s exciting to be part of an event like this,” CDRE Barrett said. “Defence is looking to fill around 10,000 positions this financial year. For people seeking top quality and Australian standards recognised training, for all new entrants, along with great pay, free medical and dental care, subsidised housing, and the personal challenge and self development on offer, there has never been a better time to look at the ADF.” 

“The ADF needs capable people, from dental assistants, musicians, carpenters, general hands, clerical staff, fitters and armourers, anaesthetists, psychologists, tank commanders, boatswains’ mates, engineers, submariners to fixed or rotary wing pilots. For more information come and visit our stand or the Defencejobs.gov.au website today,” he said. 

Mr Ricciuti states, “This event has prompted visionary employers, educators and trainers to fast track their employee and mature age student attraction propositions and course structures respectively to actively communicate with Australia’s transitioning adults by helping them increase their ‘VQ’ (Vocational Intelligence). [ii]   

The Melbourne Reinvent Your Career Expo will enable people to enhance their ‘VQ’ by allowing them to identify and then pursue their true career passion. Once inside adult career seekers can access hundreds of real jobs, attend free seminars from all types of industries, receive free career counselling, free resume services and even migration advice.” 

“Today, employee emotions like boredom, anxiety and stagnation mean our work life is being re-defined. People are upskilling, retraining, slash careering and constantly re-evaluating their career identity/ies".

“Reinventing your career has become more socially acceptable as personal fulfilment is more highly valued. Career decision making is now accepted as a series of continuous choices across the life span, not a once-and-for-all event. Thus, careers may be viewed as a spiral sequence of all life roles, with changes triggered by factors ranging from the anticipated (marriage, empty nest) to unanticipated (illness, divorce, layoff) to "non-events" (a marriage or promotion that did not occur).”  

“Other reasons people seek change is their initial career was not their own choice, their original aspirations were not met, or their present career is incongruent with changed personal values or interests. Longer life expectancy, changing views of retirement, and economic necessity are also factors.” 

Mr Ricciuti concludes by saying, “The trap many people fall into is that they listen to well intended friends and family, the news on job trends for the future, they focus on where the money is now, or just end up in a career by accident because it fell in their lap at a time of need. Ultimately people generally make career decisions based on what they think they know rather than what is actually true.” 

-Ends-

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