Hundreds of students and graduates explored future career paths on Wednesday as the Isle of Man’s Graduate and Young Professional Fair returned for 2025.

The event, held at the Villa Marina’s Royal Hall and sponsored by Zurich, featured more than 50 exhibitors who were on hand to offer guidance and advice to youngsters to help them shape their future.

The fair brought together local and international employers, training providers and higher education institutions, with the aim of equipping young people with tools to make informed decisions about their next steps.

Organisers also teamed up with Capital International who acted as the sustainability partners for the event.

Among those in attendance were sisters Grace, 20, and Emily Dudley, 19, who were visiting the island during their Easter break.

Grace said: ‘I’m a first-year university student, so we’re just kind of looking around for work experience or possible internships over the summer, seeing if there’s any opportunities over here.’

Emily added: ‘I’m graduating this summer, so I’m looking for loads of opportunities to figure out what I want to do, because I have no idea.’

The event included a full programme of talks aimed at helping young people navigate the transition from education to employment.

St Ninian’s High School students Awande Gumede, 16, and Ethan Ripton, 17, attended a session on interview techniques.

Awande said: ‘I’m here because I want to explore the careers options that are here and just to learn.’ He said the talk had highlighted the importance of punctuality and structured answering.

With university on the horizon, Ethan said: ‘I came because I want to find out what I can do before I go off to uni and see how I can really enhance my CV, before I go into the world of work.’

Sarah Stanev, 16, also attended to explore her future options.

‘Honestly, I just kind of want to have a look at what careers like I might go into one day, because I do want to be a doctor, but I am open to exploring my options.’