Free State Department of Tourism and Economic Development together with the Free State Department of Education (FSDoE), Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality, Sports SETA (CATHSSETA), Free State Gambling, Liquor, Tourism Authority (FSGLTA) and Goldfields TVET College will on the 1st & 2nd August 2024 host the Provincial Tourism Career Expo 2024 (PTCE) at Phakisa Raceway in Lejweleputswa(Odendaalsrus). The programme was intended to encourage and motivate learners to take tourism as a career of choice and to help broaden the skills base among the young people in the Free State.

Free State PTCE was first hosted in 2022 and has proved to be very effective in exposing learners to the tourism, travel, hospitality, and related sectors. This year again the event will happen over a period of 2 days where Grade 10 – 12 learners from across the province and Goldfields TVET College students will be participating in different activities and competing amongst themselves.

The activities and competitions are categorized accordingly; learners will participate in a Schools’ Competition where they will be baking, preparing food, soft furnishing and public speaking and Golfields TVET students will also participate in the Youth Business Zone (YBZ), where they will present their different business ideas related to tourism and hospitality to a panel of industry experts.
All winners will be announced and receive prizes during award ceremony to take place on the last day of the event. The prizes for schools` competition includes certificates and trophies, baking mixer, sewing machine and Data Projector. For the Youth Business Zone, the top three winners will be awarded a cash price of R50 000.00 (first price), R20 000.00 (second price) and R10 000.00 (third price). The cash prices will assist the young entrepreneurs at the beginning stages of their respective businesses.

During the 2-day event, various exhibitors from tourism and hospitality related products/organisations will get an opportunity to showcase their products or services offered by their businesses or organizations. This is to promote entrepreneurs or entrepreneurial skills in the tourism and hospitality industry.

Details of the Expo are as follows:
First day (School’s Competition)
Date: 1 August 2024
Time: 08:00 am

Activities (to run concurrently)
School’s Competitions
Youth Business Zone Competition
Prize Giving Ceremony

Second day (Main Event)
Date: 02nd August 2024
Time: 08:00 am
The media is invited to attend.

Media Inquiries: Mojalefa Mphapang on 0727126617