EXCITEMENT is mounting over the 7th Annual Future Leaders Conference and Expo scheduled for next month.

EXCITEMENT is mounting over the 7th Annual Future Leaders Conference and Expo scheduled for next month.

The event takes place from May 28 to 30 at the Durban University of Technology's Curries Fountain sports ground.

The initiative, which has been running since 2004, has opened doors for many youngsters who have taken a step to improve their lives.

This year's event will be held a few days before the kick-off of the Fifa soccer World Cup. Its theme is: "Making 2010 and its legacy work from the eyes of the youth".

The youth will have access to a variety of career opportunities, business skills and talks on moral matters that affect them. Companies will also have a chance to conduct presentations in an effort to recruit committed individuals and groom them.

Thubalethu Mngomezelu attended last year's event and was afterwards offered a bursary by eThekwini FET College. Mngomezelu is studying Information Technology.

Mngomezelu said: "Due to lack of funds, I had to stay home with my matric certificate. But after the conference, I was offered a bursary to study IT for two years.

"The motivation from different speakers at the conference changed my ways of thinking for the better."

Future Leaders founder Zanele Mbokazi said the conference would help young people to take a stand for themselves and take the initiative to forward great ideas to business people in order for them to progress.

"Young people must be fully educated in these matters and be persuaded to join programmes that are put in place to address these issues. One of the big topics for this event is prostitution," Mbokazi said.