Indigenous Job Seekers Vote Expos a Success
An incredible 6,000 Indigenous job seekers have attended the first four 2009 Former Origin Greats Indigenous Employment and Careers Expos held in Townsville, Rockhampton, Cairns and Mackay. With over 100 exhibitors involved in the expos, the momentum is set to build as the event moves to Mount Isa and Brisbane.
Indigenous job seekers and school leavers have enjoyed the opportunity to rub shoulders with some Rugby League royalty including Queensland 'Team of the Century' members Arthur Beetson, Allan Langer, Mal Meninga and Gene Miles.
Fellow Origin legends to appear at the expos have included Sam Backo, Kerry Boustead, Chris Close, Greg Conescu, Greg Dowling, Mick Hancock, Alan McIndoe, Matt Sing and Wendell Sailor.
Major League have proudly supplied event management services for the six expos including exhibitor recruitment, event promotion and media PR management.
The most recent expo, staged in Mackay last week, featured an appearance by home grown hero Wendell Sailor (pictured). Sailor spent the day talking with Indigenous job seekers and encouraging them embrace the future through the 33 employers and training providers present on the day. 
A Mackay sporting hero, Sailor first played for the Sarina Football Club as an eight-year-old and made his first grade debut as an eighteen-year-old for the Brisbane Broncos. Sailor has played five State of Origin series, 191 first grade rugby league games and 40 first grade rugby union games.
Sailor enjoyed the opportunity to talk one-on-one with students about overcoming challenges and embracing the future.
"Being part of the FOGS is about putting the community back into the game," Sailor said.
"I have had a colourful life, which has been full of good things and some bad things.
"For me, you don't just talk about the good things - kids are very honest and some will ask a lot about my suspension.
"I tell them that the future all comes back to your accountability and what you want to do with your life," he said.
The appearance by Sailor enabled Major League to secure blanket media coverage prior to the event including front page coverage in Mackay's main newspaper the Daily Mercury.
Full information on the FOGS expos can be found at www.fogs.com.au.
