Matt McQuillan, founder of Mid Coast Stairs, shares his journey from a school leaver at 16 to a skilled tradesman and successful business owner. After leaving school early, Matt completed his apprenticeship with a staircase company in Port Macquarie, then deliberately moved through various joinery shops in Wauchope and the Taree region to broaden his expertise. This strategic accumulation of skills, combined with a management role, gave him the confidence to launch his own business on the side, working evenings and weekends for two years before going full-time.

Matt Fawcett, owner of INSURE MORE @ with offices in Forster and Taree, shares his journey from a local high school student in Wingham to a leading insurance broker and community leader. After starting in banking, Matt "fell into" the insurance industry, completing his Diploma in Insurance Broking locally before purchasing the Taree business and expanding to a second location in 2025.

Josh Hack, founder of AG Farming Solutions, shares his remarkable journey from showing sheep and cattle as a teenager in Bridgewater, Tasmania, to running his own agronomy and drone business on the NSW coast. Leaving school in Year 10, Josh completed a Cert II in Agriculture at TAFE before landing an apprenticeship on a diverse mixed-enterprise farm at Cressy. His hunger for learning took him across NSW — from jackarooing on big properties around Coonamble, to farm management, to studying agronomy at Wagga, to working as an agronomist and managing a cotton farm — before settling on the coast in 2011 and launching his own business in 2021.

Erin Lute, Program Officer with the Department of Education's Regional Industry Education Partnerships, shares her remarkable journey from hospitality worker to champion of regional student career pathways. After starting in hospitality and childcare, Erin spent a season as a camp counsellor in America before returning to run hospitality businesses. Her passion for mentoring young people led her to become a TAFE teacher, then into community services and youth work, before finding her current role connecting school students with industry opportunities.

After leaving school in Year 9, Anthony worked as a butcher, served in the NSW Police, and eventually transitioned into health management before taking on his current role delivering cultural education training for GP registrars across Australia.