Students and anyone at any stage of their career will be able to get some hands-on advice and direction for their careers at the annual Canvas Tauranga Careers Expo.

The expo opens next Friday, August 10 and Saturday August 11.

Organised by Priority One and the Rotary Club of Tauranga this year's expo will include more than 60 high growth local industry sector exhibitors, universities and tertiary institutes from across New Zealand, the trades sector, a Freight Logistics Showcase and a Film Industry Workshop.

Organiser Sue Boyne says it's the perfect place for students, especially, to get a real sense of direction.

'It's important to make sure you understand what you need to study to pursue the career you want. Too often you don't realise you've taken the wrong study options for where you want to be.

'Our aim is to have the right people at the Expo to help you make the right decisions and to give you, or your son or daughter, help to define their future goals.”

Priority One's Instep Manager Lyn Parlane says knowing what subjects to take and defining what their career path might look like can be daunting and confusing for students and the expo aims to change all that and make it easier for students to get a strong sense of direction.

'It is important secondary school students get exposure to the different career pathways open to them with the long-term view of considering working or starting a business here in the Bay.”

New to the expo this year is the Freight Logistics Showcase and Sue says it will allow people to see the vast array of industries on offer that fall under the Freight Logistics banner.

'From inventory control to production supervision, customs brokering, warehouse management, dispatch and delivery or being a specialist driver that's just some of the careers on offer. It's such a diverse industry sector and the expo will be a great chance for people to truly understand the opportunities right now and in the future in this sector.”

Priority One Instep Manager Lyn Parlane says the Freight and Logistics industry is important to the economic growth of the region.

'So it is pleasing to see business and education collaborating to create a skilled logistics workforce. '

Also featuring at this year's expo is the free Film Industry Career Pathway workshop runs from 10am till 12 noon on Saturday August 11, also at ASB Arena.

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.”

The annual expo is a collaborative partnership between the Rotary Club of Tauranga and Priority One which Lyn Parlane says provides the perfect platform to highlight the region's diverse career and training opportunities to people at every stage in their working life.

'The expo aligns with Priority One's work to develop a highly skilled workforce that meets the needs of a competitive, export led economy.

'This year we have an even stronger focus on innovation reflective of the development of the region's innovative eco-system to create an entrepreneurial culture to add value to the primary product base, transforming the economy into a highly competitive one that is globally competitive.

'We're also showcasing the competitive advantages this region offers as the business destination of choice for companies that produce high value products and services.”

The Canvas Tauranga Careers Expo runs Friday August 10th and Saturday August 11 from 9am to 3pm daily at ASB Arena. Entry is free. For more information visit www.canvascareers.co.nz