More than 7,500 students gathered at the Norfolk Showground to broaden their careers horizons at the region's largest jobs fair.
The sixth Norfolk Skills and Careers Festival attracted youngsters from schools and colleges across the county.
They met more than 100 potential employers in key East Anglian sectors including financial services, engineering, construction, healthcare, renewable energy, leisure and tourism, the armed forces, public services, food and farming.
The two-day event, hosted by the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association, was formally opened by Lady Dannatt, the Lord-Lieutenant for Norfolk, who said: "Young lives will be inspired and changed by what they see and hear in the next two days.
"I am envious of the experience that awaits them and the vast range of opportunities they discover open to them."
As well as opening up students' career options, the event was a valuable opportunity for employers to meet future recruitment needs.
Sophie Skipp, head of energy skills for the East of England Energy Group, said engaging with schoolchildren was the best way to bridge a long-term sector skills gap.
"Some will have preconceived ideas about energy careers, but there are jobs in social media marketing, lawyers, project managers, as well as exciting jobs where you could travel the world as an offshore wind technician," she said.
"We need everyone. The challenge is making sure we've got enough people coming through the ranks, so we need to engage with young people at the point where they are making the biggest decisions of their lives about which GCSEs to take. We want to help them make an informed choice."
At the "construction village", students took part in practical demonstrations to illustrate bricklaying, electricals, plumbing and carpentry.
Jo Ruggles, regional training adviser for housing developer Lovell, said: "We decided to go interactive rather than just talking at them, so we can actually show them all the elements and give them a hands-on experience."
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