In late March, WorkReady participants from our Seven Hills, Parramatta, Hornsby, and Penrith sites, had the opportunity to attend Sydney Zoo for an industry day and tour. Their host began the day by talking about employment opportunities at the zoo. The participants were excited to see their favourite animals and learn about the different types of jobs available.
Participants first met with Kayla from the visitor experience team. She talked about the different roles in visitor experience, the skills that are needed, and provided insight on the application process. Kayla encouraged them to ask as many questions as they wanted, and she was asked about the animals and the specifics of working as part of the team. Kayla then introduced the group to her colleague, Louie, who gave the participants information about other roles, including zookeepers, veterinarians, nutritionists, and event coordinators.
Louie, a zookeeper, then talked about different pathways to getting a role like his and provided insights into what a day-in-the-life looks like. Louie took the group through other types of jobs around the zoo, such as food preparation and educating visitors about conservation and the animals. He then brought out a Shingleback Lizard for the participants to learn about, touch, and ask questions. Many of them were surprised by how the Shingleback Lizard felt. The next animal Louie showed was a Carpet Python. The participants were excited about seeing the snake and eager to touch it.
After hearing from Louie, the participants were encouraged to explore the zoo during lunch. They were very excited to see animals they hadn’t seen before, and to see their favourite animals again.
While one of the highlights of the day was seeing two of the elephants trying to push each other into the water, the participants got a great inside look at all the incredible work opportunities available at Sydney Zoo.
