EDGE is a job ready company that offered unique hands on workshops, lectures, resources and tasters and extensively travelled NSW. As a careers advisor myself, I got tired of poorly funded and created products that weren't created by anyone actually teaching. Students were labelled as " unruly " but in fact it's 90% up to a lack of engagement by the presenters and a poor product was put in front of the students.

I wasn't interested in a corporate tick and flick, I was out to win over careers advisors and students- to make a real difference. I was over trying to bribe students to get through something boring.

Since 2013, we have offered hands on learning- because let's face it- that's how students learn best- by doing. In 2020, we started as the only job ready provider as part of the Educational Pathways Program Pilot- ( EPPP). We presented in South West Sydney and the North Coast to a total of 24 schools.

An independent study done of all 8 pilot programs by Western Sydney University and funded by the NSW Department of Education, rated our EDGE Workshops as the " best return on investment and was widely regarded by all of the stakeholders- students, teachers and parents." It recommended that our workshops be scaled to offer more to schools with larger cohorts.

This was a reflection on our instant connection, quality of delivery and rapport that we created against government driven pilot programs, and schools today still mention our workshops and how their students were buzzing days after.

Travelling the state with 6 professionals for three years was amazing. We presented to over 150 schools from border schools-Coomealla in the south to Tweed Heads on the border up to Boggabilla and as far out as Broken Hill, and were pushing the envelope to deliver 36 schools a term- and towards the end of the funding, we did 90 schools in two terms. We presented through covid, floods and fires- and still delivered to all schools that requested us.

Good things don't always last, and quality isn't cheap. The Department are always looking to cut costs and putting it out to tender meant they went with a cheaper product, and the huge company awarded the contract didn't last one year.

We were lucky enough after to travel funded by RIEP & Office For Regional Youth, but without constant funding, the schools had to fund job readiness themselves, or have theory lessons delivered to them by Head Teachers. We are greatful for the people who believed and funded the project in the beginning and helped it become the beast it was. I didn't believe in changing the program as the practical lessons was at it's core, the point of difference that was wanted by all schools.

In the 2024 final report, completed by University of New South Wales, EDGE still gets a mention for our effect on students in comparison over the next provider:

"..The EDGE Workshop just worked really well. Our kids engaged all the time. They had the personal care which a lot of kids need… [Some] students up in this area, they’d never worn long pants before and a belt. Or even know how to tie a tie. And those are the skills that kids walk away that can be learnt forever. Whereas, yeah, I think that Ernst and Young, the Job Readiness workshop, I think it’s probably too long. A day is too long for those type of kids. (EPP HTC)"

Having schools fund these workshops is not what our EDGE Workshops are about. They are still needed and they work- but we don't want the onus on the schools to fund a program and travel when it's something that needed to be supported.

So as much as we love them- in 2026 we won't be offering them. We are immensely proud of the unique program and the staff that helped connect to hundreds of students around NSW- all in a one day program- not bad for a careers advisor😉

So for now, we're staying home for a bit and staying with our families. Until next time..