On October 15, 2025, the Pomurje Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Zala County, held the second Career Festival event as part of a small-scale project entitled SMARAGDITE.

The Career Festival, attended by around 300 primary and secondary school students from Slovenia and Hungary, was hosted by the No. 1 Bilingual Primary School in Lendava (Slovenia). The program for elementary school students took place in the gym, while the professional conference entitled »Constructions of the Future: Smart Technologies in the Service of Construction and Metal Industries« was held in the multifunctional hall. At the professional conference, experts from several companies and interested organizations presented the current trends in digitization, automation, and smart technologies.

As part of the festival, various employers from the metalworking and construction industries, technical professions, and secondary schools presented themselves in an interactive way. Students were able to learn about the professions in a modern way at various work stations and discover their talents, making it easier for them to decide on their future career choices. The young people had numerous opportunities to try their hand at practical work, learn about construction processes, and explore employment opportunities offered by companies in the Pomurje region. Experts from the participating companies presented the opportunities they offer and explained where young people can find their place in these companies. The students stopped at the stands with interest and asked numerous questions about the companies’ activities.

At the interactive stand of the Bilingual Primary School in Lendava, young people made mosaics and tried their hand at tiling. Older students showed them the basics of the tiling profession. There was great interest among young people, especially girls. School representatives emphasized that more and more girls are choosing this field of study and later this profession. Visitors to this stand were also able to try their hand at robot programming, and there was great interest in the LEGO competition, where participants built the competition elements themselves.

Students and teachers from the Secondary Vocational and Technical School in Murska Sobota presented their own innovative application, which uses virtual reality to encourage the development of algorithmic thinking. They received an award from the Pomurska Chamber of Commerce and Industry and recognition from the Slovenian Technical Culture Association for the application. The young people were very interested in trying out the application with VR glasses.

A quiz competition was held in the gym gallery, where young people could test their technical knowledge. During the competition, they demonstrated their extensive knowledge and competitive spirit.

In addition to the professional part, the young people also enjoyed the entertainment program prepared by the organizers – they could take funny photos with various props at the selfie point and try their luck at the wheel of fortune.

Photos by SMARAGDITE