Community
20 August, 2025
Career day for students
STUDENTS from across the region met with prominent industry leaders to explore how their lessons in school will support their careers.
South west not-for-profit organisation Neil Porter Legacy last week brought its annual Maths and Science at Work Day to the district.
The event saw 20 industries represented as Year 7-8 students from Cobden Technical School, Timboon P-12, Hampden P-12, Terang College and Camperdown College gathered on the one campus to gain a practical understanding of how their classroom lessons translate into their careers.
The students separated into groups before rotating through sessions with industry leaders from across the district.
Neil Porter Legacy project officer Mick Absalom said the idea behind the initiative was to support students not only in their academics but also in thinking about what their future holds and what opportunities await them in prominent south west industries.
“Neil Porter Legacy is careers focused – our aim is to tie in so the students have a good understanding of how what they’re learning in the classroom will benefit them in their careers,” he said.
“We’re showing them how maths and science relates to all the industries – there wouldn’t be a job out there that doesn’t have some form of maths and science in it, so that’s what we’re achieving today.
“The students are able to understand what they’re learning at school and how it relates and transfers into the different jobs they’re doing.
“It’s starting the kids on their journey and how their education will transfer into their life after school.”
Mr Absalom said it was rewarding to see the benefits students gained from the day.
“Over the years we’ve had some fantastic feedback from students,” he said.
“Feedback a few years ago from a student has stuck with me – Midfield Meats were represented and they were showing how units of measurement such as kilograms and percentages of fats applied to cuts of meat.
“A young person said for the first time they didn’t feel dumb, they could understand.
“It was a really beautiful thing because, in the classroom, the person felt they just didn’t get maths but when they were out there, seeing it as they worked out percentages, they could understand it and transfer that back to the classroom.
“It’s an example of what we’re achieving here and we’re hoping young people understand that what they’re learning does equate to what they will do outside of school.”
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