The nation's next best thing to Peter Jackson could be among the crowd attending Canvas Tauranga Career's expo.

The two day event began on Friday and brings together all of the information needed to help inform and educate Tauranga youngsters on what their potential career paths could look like.

Heating up the expo this year is the Film Industry Pathways workshop, which is being hosted by Bay of Plenty film.

The workshop will be covering topics including the nature of the industry and how to get into it, the wide range of skills the industry is looking for, their short term needs in this area and what Bay of Plenty Film are doing to connect people.

Region Film Office CEO Anton Steel says it will be a power packed two hours of insights.

'The workshop will be facilitated by Hip-hoperation producer Paula Jones who ran South Seas Film School for 10 years. If you're keen on a career in film this is a fantastic opportunity to hear from someone of this calibre.

'Also I have incoming productions that will need crew and I'm also in talks with Auckland producers to get Bay crew onto shoots up there in the latter part of this year as it looks like the industry there will be quite busy so we are very much on the look-out for talent. If you think a career in the film industry is right for you, this is the workshop to come to.”

More than 1500 students have been invited to attend the workshop including those from Otumoetai College, Aquinas College, Katikati College, Tauranga Boys College, Waihi College, Whakatane Highschool, Te Whare Kura o Mauao, Mount Maunganui College, Tauranga Girls College, Bethlehem College, Papamoa College, Te Puke Highschool, Murupara Area School and Opotiki College.

The workshop will be held upstairs at the Careers expo and runs from 10am-12pm at ASB Baypark Arena.

Craig Ngamoki from GBCWinstone, Tahlia Hopkins from FLAG and Steve Divers from Sector Workforce Engagement Program

Graham Heaven, baker from Napier

Kim Hammerich, Gemma Lucas, Ruby Thomas, Ella Griffin from Face&Beauty Academy

Hayley Thomas and Louis Donovan

Lynda Kersey - careers adviser at Putaruru College and Courtney Donn a student and an aspiring truck driver from Putaruru College

Anna Scandlyn - truck driver

Dougie Greig and Taylor Berriman with the Seasprite SH-2G(I) helicopter down from Whenuapai which was displayed yesterday only.

Martin Bramley at the NZ Elections stand