Careers
Careers & College Partnership News
Are you looking for work?
Over the past 3 weeks there has been a significant increase in the number of positions available being advertised locally. These have ranged from Gap Year (12 month positions) to Apprenticeship and Traineeships. As you can appreciate these opportunities are very time dependent – they don’t last long. So, it’s vitally important that students are ready to act on them promptly.
We are expecting multiple opportunities to come out soon through the Victorian Government's ‘Working For Victoria’ initiative (they’ll be employed through Council). These positions are for 6-12 months so could suit students looking for a pathway or a gap year. There is the potential for further work after the program, but the experience itself will look great on a resume for future employment applications, so stay tuned for these.
What can I do to be ready to apply for positions?
Have a polished and concise Resume ready to print off when required in your portal of the Careers website. Ensure it has current information about you and your education and work history. Make sure someone, who is a thorough proof-reader, has carefully read and edited it for you
Prepare a draft letter of application that you can customise for positions that become available. Templates for these are available from any of the Careers team.
If you don’t have a Tax File Number apply for one now.
Put all of your personal and important documentation together to a portfolio. Include your most recent reports and proof of identity documents.
Where can I find jobs that are being advertised?
If you are in Year 12:
Your campus based Facebook group, or
Your campus Yr 12 Teams group
Everyone else:
The Careers facebook page
The daily bulletin
local papers and facebook groups
Important Year 12 Information
Have you applied for university or TAFE courses through a Tertiary Admission Centre?
Additional application requirements
To ensure you don’t miss submitting compulsory documents, forms, or folios etc., or booking an interview or additional tests such as CASPer, check the course entry requirements on the institute’s website or on the Tertiary Admission Centre website.
USI
The Federal Government has made changes to HECS that now require all students studying at TAFE’s and Universities to hold a USI. If you don’t have one, don't panic. Go to https://www.usi.gov.au/your-usi/create-usi, answer some personal questions (name, date of birth, address etc.) and provide details of a proof of identity document (Drivers Licence, Birth Certificate, Passport etc.) and you’ll have one within 15 minutes.
Scholarships
If you are planning to study in 2021, you should explore the scholarships available. You can do this via the GSSC Careers website, either at the scholarships link https://www.gssccareers.com/scholarship OR for the scholarships available at individual Universities via links at at https://www.gssccareers.com/uni-info
We also prepared a detailed document which has an extensive list of links to external scholarships and this can be downloaded from the Careers website at https://www.gssccareers.com/newsletter/file/21093
Federation University Scholarships
Fed Uni offer scholarships to the value of $5,000 to Year 12 students across regional and rural Victoria who enrol in a Federation University Australia course on campus.
The scholarships are awarded on the basis of community involvement and contribution, residing in a regional or rural area and supporting statement from school. Check out the details on the attached link, where there is an online application form.
Applications close Friday 23rd October - https://bit.ly/2SRN94Q
Applications
If you missed the timely application dates for state-based Tertiary Admission Centres, you can still apply for university and TAFE courses, you will just have to pay a higher application fee.
Application fees
Remember to pay the Tertiary Admission Centre application fees by the closing dates. For example – Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre is the 17th of December for timely applications.
VTAC resources: https://bit.ly/2MFsD1O
Would you like to help people with eye disorders?
You may like to study Orthoptics
These allied health professionals play a crucial role in the early detection and treatment of eye diseases in children and adults. They can specialise in areas such as the following:
Children’s vision/paediatrics
Eye movement disorders
Low vision care/rehabilitation
Cataract care and retinal disorders
Neurological vision disorders
Laser eye surgery and corneal conditions
Driver vision and sports vision
You can study orthoptics at La Trobe University, Melbourne. For key information about this occupation, visit the Orthoptics Australia website, www.orthoptics.org.au/
You may also like to consider Optometry
Often the optometrist is first point of contact for people and they can make referrals to orthoptists. They are health care professionals who can diagnose eye diseases, detect changes in the visual system and prescribe corrective lenses. You can study optometry at Deakin University and Melbourne University in Victoria. For key information about this occupation, visit the Optometry Australia website https://bit.ly/3iOYSeV
Train to become a flight attendant
The following are examples of two institutions that offer flight attendant training in the Melbourne area:
Aviation Australia
Training runs in blocks with numerous starting dates throughout the year. You can explore start dates, location and fees at this link - https://bit.ly/35kRGlw
William Angliss
Offers the Certificate III in Aviation (Cabin Crew). To find out about the course, go to http://bit.ly/1U6C1uv
Charles Sturt University
Charles Sturt has revitalised many of their courses. You can watch a video on their new Bachelor of Arts degree at this link https://bit.ly/3dm1Qqg
To book a one-to-one course advice consultation with a Charles Sturt course adviser, visit https://bit.ly/2WpDXqQ
La Trobe University
New early entry program Achieve Plus – students can apply to complete two first year La Trobe subjects during Year 12. Results across the two subjects will give students a boost to their ATAR or a La Trobe entrance score, as well as an early conditional offer (if completed successfully).
The La Trobe entrance score will be used instead of an ATAR if it’s higher – giving them more chances to succeed. For information, visit https://bit.ly/34P5qFD
Achieve Plus information webinar
Date: Monday 26 October
RSVP: https://bit.ly/3lCRp4D
Discover your career in health at Monash University Explore your course and career options in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences through the ‘Future Careers in Health’ website, https://bit.ly/2MCr7xj
Cyber Security AustCyber Canberra Innovation Node has partnered with the University of Canberra to deliver a FREE cyber security careers showcase which will:
- Unpack the skills cyber security employers look for when hiring
- Provide insights into a ‘day in the life’ of a cyber security professional; and
- Showcase career pathways in the dynamic and rapidly growing cyber security sector.
Date: Tuesday 27 October, 10am
RSVP: https://bit.ly/3nSVS5h
Focus on VET Pathways
Vocational education and training (VET) includes traineeships, apprenticeships and TAFE study.
4 out of 5 parents report that they would prefer their child to go to university than study VET, http://bit.ly/2vPBkPF but it is crucial that both parents and students take the time to understand the VET sector, and that a preference for just university study may in some cases limit a young persons potential.
Between 20 – 30% of young people in Australia drop out of or change their university course within the first year. Many young people don’t even consider studying VET due to incorrect perceptions or through lack of understanding of the sector.
It’s no secret that employers love job applicants who have TAFE qualifications, including those who graduate from a university degree with a VET qualification.
VET graduates are considered to have ‘job ready’ skills and in the future labour market in Australia with 1 in every 2 young people expected to complete a Bachelor degree, it is more important than ever to have diverse skills, industry experience and more than one qualification (e.g., a Bachelor of Engineering with a TAFE Diploma in Project Management).
Did you know that 9/10 occupations predicted to have the most jobs growth by 2023 are in vocational training areas and in the industries with the most growth (e.g., health and community services, construction, and accommodation and food services)? Source: http://bit.ly/1mab7j7
Specific occupations with the biggest growth prediction include sales assistants, aged care workers, disability workers, enrolled nurses, electricians, chefs, and early childhood education workers etc. Current skills shortages are in occupations such as automotive trades, food trades, construction trades, and building professionals.
A report, titled: ‘Perceptions Are Not Reality: myths, realities & the critical role of vocational education & training in Australia’, was released by Skilling Australia Foundation last year,
It revealed the following:
- VET graduates earn wages comparable to, if not exceeding, that of university graduates.
- VET graduates have a higher employment rate than university undergraduates. More than 78% of VET graduates are employed after training.
- VET courses have adapted more readily to changing workforce needs.
There are some occupations that require a university degree (e.g., medicine, social work, law).
It is advisable that students consider undertaking VET study during their gap year (e.g., gap year traineeship or TAFE course) and concurrently with their university studies (if time permits).
Other benefits of TAFE courses include:
- Higher level courses (e.g., Diploma) can provide a direct pathway into university courses with credit
- Can give you the opportunity to trial an industry or career area before you commit to university study
- Can give you a qualification you can use to gain part time work whilst undertaking university study.
Do you know you can study a huge range of vocational courses at TAFE? TAFE provides students with the opportunity to:
- Undertake applied learning
- Gain ‘industry ready’ experience
- Learn about industries and careers
- Obtain a qualification in a relatively short time frame.
The following are example courses you could consider:
Jane knows she loves working with people, has excellent written and verbal communication skills, is creative, loves thinking outside the box, is highly organised and enjoys solving problems. She explores the following TAFE courses:
Public Relations
Marketing
Advertising
Professional Writing and Editing
Broadcast Journalism
Liberal Arts
Library and Information Services
Sheridan loves sciences and health and is considering working in rehabilitation, medical sciences or allied health in the future. She explores the following courses:
Dental Technology
Nursing
Massage and Myotherapy
Allied Health Assistance
Laboratory Technology
Pathology Collection
Paul knows he loves helping people and that he would like to work in counselling, case management, or human services in the future. He explores the following courses:
Community Services
Youth Work
Disability Services
Mental Health
Alcohol and other Drugs
Aged Care
To search for TAFE courses, use the following websites:
Victorian Skills Gateway website - http://bit.ly/2cPZDUF
TAFE NSW - http://bit.ly/1mgtM05
MySkills (Australia wide) - http://bit.ly/2gWp25g
It’s important to note that many courses have optional or compulsory information sessions that run between now and the end of the year.
You will need to ensure that you attend these sessions and also fulfil any portfolio or selection task requirements.
Key VET websites include
VET – VCAA, https://bit.ly/2CKD9Va
‘VET. It’s right now’, https://bit.ly/2yhKLdT
Skills Road, https://bit.ly/2P2YazQ
SkillsOne, https://bit.ly/1zCKBUG
Myfuture, https://bit.ly/1t6Uj62
Australian Apprenticeship Pathways, https://bit.ly/2Glf3PD
Free TAFE for priority courses in Victoria
Victorians may be eligible for a fully subsidised course at a Victorian TAFE Institute next year.
To check your eligibility and to search for TAFE courses and providers, use the websites:
Victorian Skills Gateway, https://bit.ly/2yG6vzc
Victorian Government, https://bit.ly/2nR7NGs
Your GSSC Careers team
McGuire campus - Lynda Bruce and Ant Newham
Mooroopna campus - Ruth O’Bree and Mary-ann Linehan. Mary-ann is the College Partnerships leader.
Wanganui campus – Tarsh Boyko and Graeme Crosbie. Graeme is the Careers Leader across the College, Tarsh is the new VCE Leader.
Your GSSC Careers website
Graeme Crosbie
Careers Leader
Greater Shepparton SC