Thousands of students, job seekers and those looking to upskill or change career are expected to descend on Trustpower Arena in Tauranga this weekend.

The annual Tauranga Canvas Careers Expo opens this Friday and aims to give people the opportunity to explore their options.

Hosted annually by Priority One and Tauranga Rotary, the free two-day expo features interactive displays and representatives from across New Zealand, ready to engage and help students and adults alike plan their career pathways.

Organiser Sue Boyne, from Tauranga Rotary, says the expo is the perfect place to connect your dreams and skills with industry providers and career pathways.

'The expo features interactive displays, University and training providers from across the country and some of our region's leading businesses. No other expo is like it, especially because of the opportunity for those attending to chat one-on-one with industry representatives.”

Sue says this year's expo line up is one of the best yet.

'Whether you're planning a career in Engineering, diving, the trades, the beauty industry, media, the defence forces, tourism, law or maybe you're just not sure what to do, this expo connects you with the right people to talk with and inspiring examples of what each career actually looks like.”

As co-hosts of the event, Priority One sees the expo as a great opportunity to better prepare students for the real world.

Instep manager Andy Howells says the reality is that we don't know what new jobs may exist 5-10 years from now.

'It might be more useful to think about the skills you have, the things you are passionate about and the kind of environment you work best in as starting points. And don't assume creative people cannot work in finance, or that structured thinkers cannot work in the arts; there's more flexibility than you might think in each sector and the expo is a fantastic opportunity to explore this.”

Whilst this Friday sees bus loads' of school students from colleges across the region attending, this Saturday is earmarked for the public and return visits by students.

'We often see a lot of students return on the Saturday, with their parents or care givers, for a more in-depth discussion with some of the exhibitors,” says Sue.

'Saturday's also a great opportunity for people of any age to come in and consider a change in career or upskilling.

'This expo is really for anyone wanting to connect with career possibilities.”

The Canvas Careers Expo runs 9am – 3pm this Friday and Saturday, July 30 and 31 and is free to attend, at Trustpower Arena, Baypark.

Visit www.canvascareers.co.nz