Murtoa College senior school co-ordinator and expo chairman Andrew Vague said it was always interesting to see the changing trends in career pathways.

“There’s always a mix of outcomes from out this way,” he said.

“The Wimmera has got a solid base of people pursuing vocational studies, TAFE and apprenticeships.

“Then there’s those who go on to pursue higher education at University – some stay and others move.

“All schools in the region have a strong base of students going into tertiary studies.”

Mr Vague said there were a number of career paths particularity popular with local students.

“Allied health courses are very popular lately, I think that’s because there’s a big variety of outcomes for students to pursue and those jobs will only be more in demand as time goes by,” he said.

“All the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses are also becoming more popular and there are plenty of good outcomes for those.

“Education studies are also very popular, as are arts and designs courses.

“There has also been a resurgence in agriculture studies – a lot of those students go away to get their qualifications and then come back to the region to work.”

He said it was great to see so many students choosing to pursue further studies after secondary school.

“The expo gives students the chance to see what pathways are available,” he said.

“For those unsure of what they would like to do, they need to do some investigating and lots of work experience in the fields they are thinking about going into.

“They should also keep their eyes open for opportunities, and when it comes to making decisions, make sure they are talking to people to make sure they are the right choices.”

The Western Victorian Careers Expo will be held Tuesday until 2pm at the Wimmera Events Centre, Longerenong.