It's a big question that can be overwhelming - and that's why Workplace Learning Illawarra exists.

Workplace Learning Illawarra is a not-for-profit organisation which has been helping young people move from school to further education and employment since 1997.

Its work includes finding placements for students completing VET courses and also their "Get Back in the Game" program which helps young people disengaged from school.

Workplace Learning organised 3143 placements for students in 2023 which CEO Marty Burgess says is a major component of their work.

"We're supporting young people to get their first experience working in the workforce and to get the competencies up that actually help them succeed in their HSC course," Mr Burgess said.

Additionally, Workplace Learning will be running the 2024 Illawarra Schools Career Expo on May 7 & 8, which last year attracted almost 6000 students and will feature virtual reality experiences this year.

Having recently formed a partnership with Mindflight 7, a virtual reality education company, Workplace Learning has begun using VR to offer "a rich smorgasbord of choices", says Mr Burgess.

"There's between 100 to 200 career experiences.

"When you're in it you feel you're totally immersed in a virtual reality environment.

"If you want to explore a career in medicine and want to be a surgeon, you actually participate in undertaking a heart surgery operation, and for all intents and purposes, when you're in that environment you really feel you are doing that."

Mr Burgess says it's all part of helping students find "choices you might not know you have".

Workplace Learning have begun taking the VR headsets to local schools and they were available for use at the Airshows Downunder career day where they were a "huge hit".

Josh Hayes, 18, was a student who went on a placement twice through Workplace Learning and is now a studying at the University of Wollongong completing his Bachelor of Civil Engineering.

"It's a great experience for high school kids and students in general just trying to get into the industry," Mr Hayes said.

"They [Workplace Learning] took care of all the paperwork, the insurance, the organising, all the cover letters and stuff like that.

"Made it really simple that you just had to call your placement company and organise a time to meet and sign paperwork."

Mr Hayes says his time in placement helped him "confirm" what he wanted to do.

Workplace Learning works with about 1000 employers in the Illawarra region and is currently looking for more businesses to come on board.

Michael Negro is the owner of Infinity Energy Solutions and has partnered with Workplace Learning to give students a taste of the workplace.

"We just try to do what we can for the youth of the community," Mr Negro said.

"If they get a bit of you know, they get a couple of skills with us and they can maybe go and look at plumbing or look at carpentry or other trades."

Infinity Energy Solutions is a solar panel installer and Mr Negro says he takes on 150 work placements a year.

"We give them a bit of a taste, I think half the thing with them is getting up early, getting to work, all that sort of stuff."