Matric pupils in the Grahamstown area had the opportunity to hear all about different occupations from doctors, academics, beauty specialists, pilots and more at the sixth annual Careers Day, hosted at the Diocesan School for Girls.

Matric pupils in the Grahamstown area had the opportunity to hear all about different occupations from doctors, academics, beauty specialists, pilots and more at the sixth annual Careers Day, hosted at the Diocesan School for Girls.

Some company and institution representatives came from as far as Durban, Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria, while some of the other 35 presenters came from places like Port Alfred and Port Elizabeth to talk to the pupils.

New companies making an appearance this year included Port Alfred’s 43 Air School, the Cape Town College of Fashion and Design, Impala Platinum Bursaries and the Isa Carstens Beauty Academy.

Rhodes University and the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University both made an appearance, and all Rhodes faculties as well as the university's careers department, school of languages, Pharmacy, Human Kinetics and Ergonomics, Law, Journalism and Geology departments made presentations.

Local presenters included senior state advocate Nicola Turner, medical doctor Fiona Meihuizen, physiotherapist Jane Holderness and psychologist Lizl Foss. Both Turner and Meihuizen are Old Girls of the DSG.

The event's organiser, Anne Preston said that all companies and institutions prepared 25-minute presentations, which included a time for the pupils to ask questions. Every half an hour they could move on to a different display.

Preston felt strongly that Grade 11 pupils and matriculants should focus both on both gap year opportunities and tertiary studies for after school. She sees many pupils change their minds between Grade 11 and Grade 12, she said, even during the course of their final year of schooling.

PricewaterhouseCoopers sponsored the event for the sixth consecutive year, mostly to finance transport for schools across Grahamstown to and from the Careers Day. The day was free for all presenters and school pupils who attended.

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