About Girls' Big Day Out
The Girls’ Big Day Out (GBDO) is designed to impact on girls’ career choices and assist with the deficit of women in non-traditional roles.
It has been identified that there are very real trade skill shortages in the Geelong region and therefore an urgent need to market careers in the trades and, in particular, to target girls.
The Girl’s Big Day Out developed out of this understanding through the “Jobs for Kids (J4K) Strategy”, a major initiative of the LLEN and the Geelong Region Employers’ Reference Group. BacLinks was then given the task of developing ideas to bring Industry and Schools together.
An outcome of this work identified that many students can’t see the connection between school and the ‘real world’. When students are not being successful in school for any number of reasons, they may choose to drop out and try to find ways to make some money. Creating a way for students to clearly make the connection between learning and earning can be very motivational.
Our experience also indicates that students’ perceptions about careers in the trades are not based on contemporary practice. Further to this we identified that career opportunities are continually shifting and good jobs require high levels of academic, technical and social skills. It was clearly established early on in our Project that many students require a taste of what is available via a career in the trade to enable them to make informed career decisions.
Through initiatives that link school and industry, students are able to gain ‘real world’ experience: job readiness, problem solving and team building skills. Real world experience also helps to link academic learning to on-the-job activities and helps students refine their own career interests and learn more about the career opportunities that exist.
The Girls’ Big Day Out is modelled on the very successful BacLinks Workplace Big Day Out. It involves workplace volunteers from a variety of trades working alongside students and teachers from various schools and ACE agencies, participating in a range of hands-on trade activities. The event also provides an opportunity for industry reps to present information to students and teachers about their particular trade and the realities of working in their industry - promoting trades as a positive career option.
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