While the world’s top professional surfers ride winning waves off Newcastle’s Merewether Beach later this month, high school students from Callaghan College’s Jesmond senior campus will be catching their own career breaks.

A group of 125 students, mostly involved in vocational education courses, will work alongside organisers, supporting businesses and sponsors throughout the 13-day international event known as Surfest.

Jesmond campus principal Ian Nebauer said the experience will give students “a better understanding of what the world of work actually requires of them”.

“It’s about the relevance of learning and the students get to see why they are doing courses and [see] future career paths,” he said.

Students enrolled in hospitality, business services, construction, information technology and music and visual arts courses will be matched with businesses to work on projects including event promotion, catering, infrastructure, website maintenance and technical support.

The school’s expanded role in Surfest follows its involvement last year when five Year 12 hospitality students gained catering experience.

Mr Nebauer said the positive feedback from those students and the work of the school’s home economics head teacher, Fiona Davies, resulted in this year’s inclusion of students in other vocational education courses.

“It really was Fiona’s leadership to get more and broader experience for students in a greater range of courses involved,” he said.

Surfest contest organiser Warren Smith said students would gain “invaluable experience” from working on the event from March 26 to April 6. The event is the largest professional surfing event in Australia – attracting about 1,000 competitors. Mr Smith said the involvement of the Jesmond campus students last year had added “a lot of enthusiasm, expertise and youthfulness” to the event and he looked forward to continuing the partnership.

“We have a plan now for three years that will benefit all and in the long run Newcastle is going to benefit because these kids will be the leaders in our community later on,” Mr Smith said.