By Afraa Kori
The 2025 Jobs and Skills Showcase at Cardinia Shire’s Cultural Centre on March 26th provided an opportunity to unlock future career pathways.
The Cardinia Jobs and Skills Showcase successfully connected local jobseekers with local employers, fostering meaningful employment opportunities within the community.
Supported by Local Jobs – South Eastern Melbourne and Peninsula, the event bridged the gap between jobseekers and employers, providing a platform for networking, learning, and growth.
The showcase featured a diverse range of workshops designed to help jobseekers enhance their skills, improve their employability, and prepare effectively for the job market.
By bringing together jobseekers and employers, the event contributed to building a stronger, more resilient local workforce, ultimately supporting the economic growth and development of the community.
More than just a job fair, the showcase played a vital role in helping individuals build careers and empowering them to achieve their professional goals.
Nathan Thomas, Operations Manager at Holcim, shared that it’s rare for them to get the opportunity to showcase their industry.
“We don’t get the opportunity very often to show our unique industry,” he said
“It’s giving us another avenue to employment and to really display who we are as a business.”
Many attendees were unfamiliar with Holcim and other industries, reinforcing the event’s value in raising awareness.
“A key message I want people to understand is to broaden your horizons. Look further than the traditional job market to understand what’s out there,” Nathan said.
“Most people we’ve spoken to don’t seem to know much about it, even though we use it in everyday life—the concrete, the roads, the glass, everything that comes from our business.
“I find that traditional methods of recruiting don’t seem to attract enough of the people we’re looking for. For us, it was a chance to show people the local job opportunities beyond the traditional roles they might be familiar with through a parent or friend. It just expands people’s horizons to keep them in the community rather than having to relocate to get a role somewhere else.”
The 2025 Jobs and Skills Showcase returned bigger than ever, with 55 businesses participating—an increase of 25 from last year. The event featured a diverse range of industries, including construction, aged care, and real estate, with a strong focus on local opportunities.
Cardinia Shire Council, deputy mayor Cr Alanna Pomeroy, is delighted to witness the strong support for the event.
“It just provides job seekers of all ages the opportunity to explore local jobs and the ability to hopefully work closer to home,” she said.
