On Air with Lake Macquarie FM:
Connecting Classrooms to Careers
Earlier this week, we had the pleasure of joining Lake Macquarie FM to talk about a growing local initiative that’s bridging the gap between education and the workforce — Work Experience Connect.
Taking time out of his school holidays, Principal Andrew Pesley from Swansea High School joined Daniel Borg from psyborg® and Caves Connect in the studio to share how this partnership is helping young people gain real-world experience while strengthening local business connections.
🎧 Listen to the interview:
Reviving a Vital Pathway for Students
While work experience isn’t a new idea, it’s become rare in many schools across the Hunter and Lake Macquarie regions. Swansea High is one of the few schools still running an active program — and doing it with vision and purpose.
Through Work Experience Connect, Caves Connect is helping amplify this effort by promoting the program across its network of over 300 local businesses. The goal is simple: make it easier for students to access meaningful placements and for businesses to get involved in shaping the next generation of workers.
“Swansea High has always taken a proactive approach to connecting students with the real world. This initiative helps us reach further into the local business community and create more opportunities for our students,” said Andrew Pesley, Principal of Swansea High School.
“This is really about supporting what Swansea High was already doing and giving it a bigger voice through the Caves Connect community,” said Daniel Borg. “It’s amazing to see local business owners stepping up to help shape future careers.”
How to Get Involved
Whether you’re a student ready to explore your first career opportunity, or a business wanting to give back while discovering future talent, getting involved is easy.
Visit the link below to learn more and register your interest:
👉 cavesbeach.info/caves-connect-work-experience-connections
A Shared Vision for the Future
The collaboration between Swansea High, Caves Connect, and local business owners is a reminder of what can happen when community and education work together. It’s more than just a placement — it’s a way to inspire, mentor, and connect young people with real-world possibilities right here in Lake Macquarie.
Listen to the full interview:
cavesbeachconnect.
All businesses represented on Caves Beach Connect are owned or operated by locals that live in and around Caves Beach
although the businesses themselves may not necessarily operate in Caves Beach.
Our guiding principle for listing a business is for anyone that lives in or around Caves Beach and owns or
operates a business inside or outside of Caves Beach.
We want it to be a vehicle to encourage networking and for locals to support locals.
The views and opinions expressed by each business or community stakeholder are those of each business or community stakeholder and do not necessarily reflect the views of Caves Beach Connect.
Caves Beach Connect acknowledges the Aboriginal people known today as the Awabakal, as the traditional Custodians of the land, respecting Aboriginal Elders past, present and future. Caves Beach Connect recognises the local Aboriginal community today in all of their diversity, who came forward to share their experiences, knowledge, images and memories.